XBook 2 Shadows and Steel
by Leen713
Summary: Magneto is free...and rebuilding his Brotherhood. To what lengths will he go to gain a very powerful ally? And is he the only enemy the X-Men have to fear? Spoilers for X2...COMPLETE
1. Prologue: The Twins

Prologue:

            In one secluded corner of the Metropolitan Library of Chicago, Rebecca Malloy sat quietly in front of a glowing computer screen.  She was typing rapidly on the keyboard, a variety of books and periodicals stacked around her like self-made walls. 

            Many of the volumes were medical in nature, but she was keeping them out mostly to convince any passer-by that she was studying.  The rest (which were sitting much closer than the others) had to do with less traditional fields of study.

            It was a rare instance for her, in that she had not spoken to anyone in nearly an hour.  It was unusual for a span of ten minutes to go by without her conversing with anyone who was around, but right now she was entirely focused on her task at hand.

            Her dark red hair was pulled back from her face and held in place by two crisscrossing yellow pencils.  Her sharp eyes scanned the electronic pages of her text, searching for typos and errors she may have missed in her first draft.

            After a few minutes, her fingers paused, and she frowned.  Her gaze drifted from the screen as she glanced around at the mountains of books.  Grabbing one volume roughly, she paged through with frustration.  

            "What the hell was that name?" she said to no one, "I just read this last month, I should know this, dammit..."

            She muttered to herself until she found the information she needed.  She reread the passage twice, just so be doubly sure she would not forget it again.  Slamming the text down, she returned to her typing.

            The title of her book of choice glittered silver under the monitor's glow and read "Sir Laurence DeVillenue's Book of the Undead."  Its elaborate cover stood in stark contrast to the simple bindings of the medical books.

            Rebecca was a student…in more ways than one.  She was currently enrolled in the medical program at Chicago University and had always been a very dedicated pupil.  She liked learning how to help people, and (compared to her other fields of interest) it was a very good way to keep her very unpractical feet on the ground.

            At least, that had been her Uncle Sebastian's intention (not to mention the intentions of the Council of Watchers).  When she had been first considering colleges and majors, he had insisted she choose something very worthwhile, and also very time consuming.  She supposed he had hoped studying to become a doctor would fill most of her waking minutes, and leave her very little time for her 'extracurricular' studies.  

            Unfortunately, that had not worked out _exactly_ as he had planned.  

            Her Uncle Sebastian had slowly, and grudgingly, accepted the fact that Rebecca's growing obsession with the paranormal would not be distracted, no matter how much studying she had to do.  And he had also accepted that she would be a primary recruit for the Council as soon as she reached her twenty-fifth birthday.

            Given her family history, and her own paranormal gifts, Rebecca Malloy had been one of the 'watched' since she was a baby.  The fact that she, and her brother, were mutants had never deterred the Watchers from making their interest in their family known, their normal policy on interference with mutants ignored in their case.

            Rebecca paused again and yawned, stretching her arms backward over her head.  She twisted her neck around to look at the time on her watch and was surprised to find it was barely nine o'clock.  She could have sworn it was later, but figured she must have just been tired.

            Suddenly, footsteps resounded loudly through the library's empty halls at a quick, almost marching pace.  Rebecca spun her chair back to the computer monitor and grinned.  She knew what was coming, and she had been looking forward to it all night…

            "Moron," a voice said, in a greeting tone, from behind her, "Coffee?"

            "Putz…" she replied, in customary fashion and spared her brother a sarcastic look as he sat down next to her, "Thanks…"  

            Jeremy Malloy was a tall, blonde, and undeniably attractive young man.  His eyes sparkled with almost a metallic gleam, and his expensive suit was obviously tailored to fit.  This stood in strange contrast to his sister, wearing faded denim overalls and a worn, comfortable looking sweater.  Despite their fashionable differences, one needed only to look in their eyes to know they were twins.

            For underneath her long red hair, Rebecca's eyes gleamed with the same blue light, like the brightest, hottest part of a flame.

            "Bec, my sis," he announced grandly, "Have I got the dirt for you…"

            Rebecca blew through the small hole of the plastic lid on her coffee, and sipped at it experimentally.  She grimaced and swallowed quickly.

            "Uhg…Sid!" she said, calling her brother by his nickname, "This shit's freezing…"

            Jeremy, also known as Sid to most of his friends, did not even garner her a glance as she complained, pulling a newspaper from inside his suit jacket.

            "So, next time I'll bring you a fucking thermos…" he shot back, unrolling the paper quickly.

            "Yeah, right," Rebecca muttered, and took the cold cup in her hands.  Her eyes narrowed, and after a moment steam began to rise from the warming liquid.  It had not taken much, only a slight push with her powers, before the coffee was again at a drinkable temperature.  She did this with practiced caution, not wanting to surprise any other patrons of the library by setting the cardboard cup on fire.

            Sid…on the other hand, was holding a small strangely shaped piece of glass in his hand openly.  It almost looked like a 'stress ball,' its clear surface indented by the impressions of his fingers.  Almost absently, Sid focused on the glass and flattened it, creating a quick and effective paperweight on the news print.

            "Look…" he said simply, pointing impatiently at an article on the third page.  While he, like his sister, enjoyed conversing frequently and verbosely with anyone who would listen, private conversations between each other were often monosyllabic, and to the point.

            "What…" Rebecca said, and frowned.

            Sid pointed again, "Look…"

            Rebecca rolled her eyes and sat up to look over Sid's shoulder.  As she read the headline, her eyes widened with amusement.

            _Vampire Cheerleader Terrorizes Quiet Mexican Village, the story began, with obviously doctored pictures of a 'Vamprella' with plastic teeth, running after a few terribly stereotyped sombrero sporting 'villagers.'_

            Rebecca chuckled, "I guess Harmony's single again.  She's been so depressed since it ended with Billy-Boy the Bloody out in California, I hear she shacked up with the first eligible blood-sucker who came along…but I guess that didn't last either…"

            Sid shrugged, "Hey, she's _your_ friend, Bec.  I try to steer clear of dead women.  They nag even more than _living women…"_

            "Pig," Rebecca shot with a disgusted grin.

            "Cow," Sid replied back affectionately with the insult and then continued thoughtfully, "Although…Harm is pretty hot…maybe I should give her a 'friendly' call…"

            "Ew…" Rebecca replied, "I _think_ she could _way better that __you, Sid…"_

            Sid nodded, not disagreeing, and then nudged Rebecca's arm, "Why don't we hook her up with Uncle 'Bastian.  He's a vampire…she's a vampire…it could work…"

            Rebecca glanced over at him skeptically, "You really want Harmony as an aunt?  Imagine the nagging then…"

            "Oh," Sid said with a frown, "Point…taken…"

            Sid picked up the glass from the paper and rolled it in his hand.  The glass shifted, rolling through his fingers almost like water.  He never bothered to check if anyone was watching him do this, even in the most public settings.  Sid would no more hide his mutant abilities than he would not throw a flirtatious glance at any woman (excluding the dead and his sister, of course).

            He reached for his coffee and was about to take a drink when he noticed the temperature of his cup had seemingly fallen into the negatives as well.

            "Hey, mind reheating his, Ms. Mr. Coffee-Reheater?" Sid said, stumbling over the last comment and Rebecca grinned.

            She held on hand toward Sid's cup, extended her middle finger as is custom, and touched the cardboard dramatically.  Within seconds, the liquid was hot and Sid was grinning broadly.

            Rebecca shook her head as her brother drank, "Ms. Mr. Coffee-Reheater?  That was terrible…"

            "Look, I was lacking caffeine…" Sid commented bitterly, and Rebecca acknowledged with a simple nod how caffeine deprivation can dampen one's ability to insult their sibling. 

            "So, why else are you in the city tonight?" Rebecca asked her brother curiously, "I know I wasn't just for coffee and a late night discussion on the ethics of dating the undead."

            Sid did not reply right away, and the sarcastic expression on his face faded.  Rebecca frowned in sudden concern, but waited for her brother to continue.

            "I…I don't know really…" he said, grinning again but not with sincerity.

            "Sid, I know you know that's not true," she replied somberly, and Sid nodded.

            The one thing they could never do was lie to each other.  They were too alike in mind and manner not recognize when the other was not being entirely true.

            "It's…it's just a feeling," Sid said, "Something around us, you know.  Something's changed.  And I don't mean like those attacks a few months ago, when the world got all tense and people went on guard.  Just…the tone around us.  I mean with the Council and school…even the Underground.  When vampires and demon beasties get nervous, you know something's up…"

            Rebecca nodded slowly as Sid spoke.  She had noticed it too.  It was like they were being watched, more than normal, as if everyone was waiting for something to happen, either around them…or to them.

            "You think we should ask 'Bastian about it?" she said and Sid shrugged but did not reply.

            "You think their lookin' for mom again," she said, and not as a question.

            Sid glanced up at her sadly and sighed.

            "I really don't know, Bec," he said, "I mean, it's been almost ten years…"

            "Eight and a half," Rebecca corrected him quickly and Sid nodded resigningly.

            "Ok, eight and a half," Sid said, "Still a fucking long time to be waiting for someone to come back…"

            Rebecca sighed and slung an arm around her brother's shoulder.  They had been through this before, and Rebecca knew better than to hope.

            "Yeah…" she agreed finally but said nothing else.  Nothing else needed to be said.  In the end of all these conversations, there had always only been one answer.

            "It's not her," Rebecca said, almost bitterly but kept her words in check, "You know it's not…she's dead.  She drowned, and that's the end of it."

            Sid looked over at his sister sadly and then lowered his eyes.  They were quiet for a moment, all the words that others may have needed to say aloud passed silently between the twins, their troubled lives kept stable only by the presence of each other.

            Sid inhaled deeply and sat up.  He gathered himself quickly and grinned.

            "Big jerk," Rebecca said to him affectionately and Sid laughed.

            "I love that you hold me in such high regard…putz," he said sarcastically.  Their humor was more often than not directed at each other, and was simply the way they managed though the most difficult times.

            Rebecca hugged him and smiled, "Yep, but don't worry.  Tonight, I will be abducted by aliens who will introduce me to Elvis and the weirdness of my life will be complete."

            Sid laughed, then stood up and straightened his tie.  He ran a hand through his hair, which never seemed to be out of place, and then glanced back at his sister.

            "Gotta run, fire-bug," he said, "Got a date.  Tell Uncle S not to wait up…"

            "Ew…" Rebecca repeated her earlier statement with a wicked grin, "Leave before you frighten the librarians…"

            Rebecca shook her head as she listened to her brother march off, whistling arrogantly, his quick pass through the stacks gaining him approving glances from other female students.  Rebecca ignored this completely, and went back to her typing.

            She glanced over at the coffee cup and sighed, thinking of her mother again sadly.  She had inherited her mother's gift of fire, but rarely put it into practice beyond coffee or s'mores.  The gift was powerful, but dangerous, a fact that had been ingrained in her since she was young.

            Rebecca glanced around, and when she was sure no one was watching her, she cupped her hands and focused the power to a specific point.  A small, well-controlled flame appeared between her palms and she grinned.  The flame arched and twirled upon her command, a simple trick, but one she enjoyed practicing as much as Sid did with his glass.  After a few moments, she closed her hands together and the flame went out.

            Rebecca sighed, and began typing again.  

            So what, her mother was the 'firestarter'…her uncle was a vampire…her friends were a wide assortment of weirdoes…and her brother…well, he was annoying in a way that could only be defined by with much foul language…but…

            …at least things couldn't get any worse…


	2. Chapter One: Haunted

Chapter One:

            _Everything was gray, he could remember that clearly; everything was gray...colorless..._

_            The rain was falling in cold pellets against the faces of men, women and children as their captors lead them down the muddy alley way.  The boy was looking up, trying to find out what they were walking towards though the rain, but he was too small to see over the adults surrounding him.  _

_            On one side, his mother was holding onto him by the shoulder and upper arm, her wide-eyes darting around at the guards lining the pathway.  On the other, his father was holding his small hand tightly.  Every now and then, the boy's father would glance down at him and smile reassuringly.  However, his father's eyes seemed to be dull...gray, just like everything else...empty of hope..._

_            The boy felt his chest tense as a large gate became visible..._

_            He knew what was going to happen..._

_            It always happened..._

_            As they reached the end of the alley, armed soldiers tore the boy away from his parents.  Nasty, leering faces glared at his father, aiming the rifle at him, and ushering them roughly on.  He could hear his mother screaming his name as she was forced further and further away..._

_            The boy was weeping, afraid...and angry. He ran towards the gate as it closed between him and his family…_

_            He knew what was going to happen..._

_            It always happened…_

_            The boy reached out to his parents, willing them back from the dark place they were heading.  He could feel strong arms of the guards grab him around the waist, trying to stop him...but the boy was stronger.  He began to reach for the gate, the metal all around him, ordering it down, commanding it to fall..._

_            Suddenly, the boy felt the arms around him fall away and he fell to the ground.  He looked upward, expecting to see a vicious grin before the butt of the rifle knocked him unconscious...but the guards were gone.  He looked toward the gate and realized everyone was gone.  Everyone except his parents..._

_            He ran towards the gate with elation, calling for his mother and father.  The pair stood, hand in hand, still looking sad and lost, as dim as ghosts, but the boy did not care.  This time it would be different.  This time he would reach his parents.  This time he would save them.  He would tear down the walls, tie the Nazi guards in barbed wire, and watch as all his people ran from this place..._

_            Before the boy could take more than a few steps, he ran head first into an invisible barrier.  His head and hands pressed against its soft, cold surface, which molded around his outstretched hands, but did not break._

_            The boy jumped back in confusion and fear.  He looked around, and realized he was inside a transparent white room.  Through the clear wall, he could still see his parents gazing sadly at him.  The boy screamed, and began to pound his small fists against the unbreakable plastic._

No!_he__ thought in terror, No, no, no nonononononooooo___

_The boy spun around, searching for a way out.  He could still see his parents standing in the rain, which was now beating hollowly against the roof of the plastic cell.  He screamed and screamed, searching for an escape...he needed metal...if only he had one piece of metal...just one..._

_            The boy looked outside again, and noticed a leering, smiling face watching him coldly.  He cried out, and took a step away from the clear wall.  The man was older, wearing wire spectacles that were strangely untouched by the rain.  The man did not stop smiling as he turned away from the boy and headed through the ruined gate towards his parents.  His 20th century military uniform was out of place in the boy's world, but the man's eyes were as vicious as those of the Nazi guards..._

_            His parents did not move, even as grinning image of William Stryker took a gun from his belt and raised it to his father's temple._

NO!_the__ boy began to scream again, fighting against the plastic, suffocating, watching with helpless horror as Stryker's grin widened, and his father closed his eyes..._

***

            "Magneto?" a voice said, and Erik Lensherr started as he was pulled from his thoughts.

            On a small island, several hundred miles off the Atlantic coast of North America, Erik Lensherr sat in quiet thought in his office, the silence only broken by the rhythmic clang of metal on metal.  Five spheres swung slowly back and forth, the reverberation of their impact on each other, perhaps harsh to some, was soothing to the tall gray-haired man.

            He had not been able to sleep, his dreams keeping him from any real rest...but it was something he had grown accustom to over his long years.  The nightmares were always different, but never really changed.  Erik had simply endured them, as much as he endured keeping the numbered tattoo on his inner arm.  The past was a menace, the pictures of his family's happy life marred by a red flag and a crooked cross.  But, it was the source of his rage...his need for revenge...and, as he had quickly learned in his youth, it was also the motivation that moved him to action.

            Remnants of the past were cold reminders of what the future may hold again for his people, for mutants.

            The only solace he had ever found was in the cold embrace of the steel around him.  For that was what he was, that was what he had become.  No friend or lover had ever touched his soul, which was as steeled as his island fortress.

            His 'office' was large, though not nearly as immense as some of the island's other chambers, and had been carved directly out of the mountain itself.  The metal beams fortifying the walls seemed to have been molded into the very bedrock, and the light gleamed off of them with buffered reflection.

            The voice that had spoken had sounded from the small intercom panel imbedded in Lensherr's long metallic desk.  He did not respond immediately, gathering himself from his disturbing memories, and waited until the call came again.

            "Magneto?  This is Mystique...Please respond."

            Erik smiled with an honest warmth, that ended before it touched his eyes.

            "Yes, Mystique...report," he replied, his voice resounding through the room with unquestionable authority, any trace of the small child of his memories erased by decades of tempered resilience.

            "Deathstrike and I are approaching the Island," Mystique replied, her words spoken quickly, almost fluidly, though as commanding as his own.  Magneto knew how easily her voice could become vicious and hard...as well as soft and seductive, and a pleased expression fell across his face.

            "Very well," he said, "I will meet you at the hanger gates."

            Magneto paused a moment in thought before adding, "Was the reconnaissance successful?"

            He could almost hear Mystique smile as she replied, "Yes.  Beyond our expectations."

            "Excellent," he said, "I await your arrival.  Magneto, out."

            Magneto sat back in his metallic chair and watched the spheres suspended over his desk swing back and forth.  His body was still and tense, but his mind was moving quickly, measuring the success of the returning mission against what was still left to be done.

            Since escaping the destruction of Alkalai Lake, Magneto had been striving for one simple goal...rebuilding the strength of his Brotherhood of Mutants.  The world may still hate mutants for what they are, but the near-death experience shared by the entire population (excluding himself and his old friend Charles Xavier) had forged a new sense of fear among so-called normal human beings.  This incident had also left many mutants with previously dormant genes lost and in need of a leader.  

            Once, in times past, Erik Lensherr may have been agreeable to a world of equality with human beings, working openly together with them to create a better future for everyone.  But, that was no longer an option for him, as Erik Lensherr or Magneto.  He had seen his people die once because they were different, an entire population nearly destroyed by the whims of a mad man.  

            And, he had almost seen it happen again, through the plots of William Stryker.

            Perhaps it was the months of torture and mind control that had caused the image of the fallen General to appear in Erik's dreams, but again, he would endure it.  For the mad man was dead, and mutants, his Brothers, had survived.

            Magneto planned to become their leader, a voice for all those frightened and weak children being shunned by those they had once trusted.  He would be the one to bring them together, to show them their own power, the power to defend themselves against those who would deny them the right to exist.  In order to accomplish this, he would draw the most powerful of mutants to him, strengthen his army, to prepare for war he knew was coming.  Mutants, with all their superior gifts and talents, would be annihilated if they were too weak to stand as one and conquer their tormentors.  So, together, as Brothers, Magneto would lead mutants to a new and glorious future.

            And, if anyone stood in his way, he would destroy them.

            Rising quickly, Magneto marched out of the room, leaving the haunted past for later dreams.

            Behind him, each of the five silver spheres settled to the desk.  Not in a falling clatter, but with calm, focused intention.  

            He would not fail his people again…


	3. Chapter Two: Mystique and the Lady

Chapter Two:

            As the small, silver jet approached the Island of the Brotherhood of mutants, Mystique stared, almost unblinkingly out the pilot's window.  Her dark blue skin made her almost invisible in the dim light of the jet.  The sun had set behind them nearly an hour ago, leaving only the faintest silhouette to indicate her presence.   Her yellow eyes stood out from the darkness, gleaming with anticipation of their arrival, betraying her not-so-subtle relief at returning home.

            She made no effort to disguise herself, now that their mission was completed, though she was dressed in a long heavy coat and boots for protection from the cold.  The clothing was real, not formed through shape-shifting, and felt heavy and comforting over her skin.  The weather in Chicago had actually been quite mild for March, but now that they were flying north, the extra clothing was necessary.

            Mystique reached over her head and activated the landing gear in preparation for their arrival to the Island.  She glanced to her right, and nodded silently to the woman next to her.

            Yukiro Oyama, also known to the Brotherhood as the Lady Deathstrike, sat in the co-pilot's seat, and acknowledged Mystique's wordless order.  Her movements were almost mechanical and she had not uttered a single word throughout the duration of the flight.  Yuriko's dark eyes stared steadily ahead, only shifting to regard the numerous dials and readouts on the ship's console when necessary.  

            There was an artificial air around the dark-haired, pale woman which Mystique found slightly unnerving after so many hours, but she tolerated the silence by focusing on their destination.   

            For Mystique, this was learned practice, forming a callous between herself and those around her, one which she had perfected in her time with the Brotherhood.  For, in her duties to Magneto, she found herself associating with many wounded, angry and malicious individuals, whom she had no desire to become close with in any way.  She had been betrayed by such bonds in the past, and the only man she ever allowed past that unapproachable shroud of feminine power was Erik Lensherr.

            For him, she had sacrificed everything of her former life, to devote her entire being to his vision of the future.  It had been over fifteen years since they met, and their relationship had changed, becoming close and distant at the same time, but always fiercely loyal.  When future generations of mutants looked back on the Brotherhood's accomplishments, there would always be the two of them, the ones who started the fight for mutant freedom…and established mutant superiority.

            However, there was work to do before that vision was realized.  And, this mission had only been one step in many.

            Mystique glanced over at the Lady again, regarding her coolly for a moment, but knew that the woman's skillfulness and strength had become an undeniable asset to the Brotherhood since Magneto had saved her from the flood at Alkalai Lake.  She not only had an in depth expertise in military technology but also in most forms of unarmed combat.  She also seemed to have an ingrained instinct in tracking and locating whatever information Magneto requested, which had been enhanced by the vast knowledge she had acquired during her involuntary 'enlistment' in Stryker's private army.

            Mystique knew by studying the records how tortured that existence had been for the Lady, and also knew how fiercely motivated the woman was by her need for revenge.  Outwardly, however, Yuriko was calm, unnaturally serene, and never failed to follow Magneto's every order, always without complain or argument.

            Gazing forward again, Mystique could begin to distinguish the outline of the Island fortress against the dark and cloudy sky.  She activated the onboard communicator, and signaled their impending arrival.

            As they approached, dim lights guided them down through the dense foliage that circled the large stone mass in the Island's center.  The jet slowed to a hover and a large hanger gate began to slowly open.  From the apparently solid stone mountain wall, a small line of light appeared, and then grew wider as a pair of doors drew back.  They were layered, folding back in four separate panels to create the wide opening into the Island's main landing bay.

            The doors did have a mechanical system that allowed them to open and close, but it was not always necessary to use, and Mystique smiled as she noticed the man standing alone in the vast chamber.

            Magneto held one hand toward them, as if in greeting, but was focusing his powers on opening the hanger gates, any proper machinery left unused in the process.  The metal moved smoothly under his command, and, once the jet settled on the stony floor, he tilted his head slightly and forced the doors to expand and close again.  They met with a hollow clang, and once again, the wall seemed to be solid, the doors hidden until the jet was needed again.

            Magneto stood with his shoulders back, smiling proudly as the two woman walked quickly down the jet's ramp.  Mystique came first, allowing her long coat to hang loosely around her, moving in a deliberately provocative manner, while Deathstrike followed several steps behind.  When she approached Magneto, she stood with her hands behind her back, a soldier's stance, awaiting her commander's next order.

            "Welcome back," Magneto said, glancing from the Lady's unemotional stillness to Mystique's cold glare, "Did you ladies have a pleasant flight?"

            Mystique rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.  She did not look at all amused by Erik's repartee, so with quiet amusement he looked back to Deathstrike, who did not seem to register the tension between the other two at all.

            "Please…" he said, motioning to her, "Report…"

            "The reconnaissance was successful…" she began, her voice even and disciplined, "We identified a male and female target matching the descriptions gathered from evidence recovered during my missions over the past two months.  These, of course, still must be cross-referenced with the previous records acquired from the Council Houses in Seattle and New York."

            Magneto looked pleased, but frowned thoughtfully.

            "Did the subjects present any indications of their mutant abilities?" he asked.

            Yuriko blinked, and shifted slightly.  Mystique recognized this as the closest expression of disappointment the Lady was capable of.  Magneto looked at her with understanding patience, coaxing the woman to continue despite her discontent.

            "Not the girl," she said, "The male subject seems quite unconcerned about how conspicuously he displays his abilities, however, there was no indication of pyrokinesis in the female."

            Magneto pursed his mouth in thoughtful acknowledgement and gave the Lady a warm smile.

            "Perhaps…only because the situation did not warrant it," he said, and Deathstrike raised her head a little, straightening her shoulders again.

            "In due time…" Magento continued, "We may be able to…persuade her…to _make use of those abilities."_

            Deathstrike nodded, seemingly satisfied with Magneto's reassurances.

            "The jet is in need of maintenance," Deathstrike reported, "The left wing seemed out of alignment upon our last take off."

            Magneto nodded, "Fine.  Ask Toad to see to the repairs.  I believe he and Pyro are working on the ventilators in the East wall.  Let him know of your concerns before you continue on to the Information Room.  I assume you have further footage to add to the previous data."

            "Yes, I will integrate the information and bring you a full report within the hour…" Deathstrike said. 

            Magneto glanced over to Mystique and shook his head.

            "Now, now, my dear," he said softly, and returned his gaze to Yuriko, "You've had a long flight.  Why don't you get some rest?  The reports can wait until the morning, when I've had time to reflect on the next item on our agenda.  I believe…"

            His eyes returned to Mystique, "…we could _all_ use a slight…_respite_ from our duties_."_

            Magneto's deliberate tone, directed at the cold blue woman, was either unnoticed or ignored by Deathstrike who took her commander's words as orders, and left to speak to the other members of the Brotherhood before resting for the night.

            Mystique held Erik's gaze as the Lady walked off, and neither moved until they were sure she was gone.

            "And…Mystique," he said her name with a purposeful smile, "Do you have anything to add to the Lady's brief account of your time together."

            Mystique did not return the grin, "I think she gave you a fairly _complete summary of the entire three weeks…"_

            She began to walk off with quick angry steps and Magneto paced her easily.

            "Now, now, my dear," he repeated in the same tone he had to Deathstrike, "Don't be bitter.  Accuracy in identifying those children is imperative to the success of their allocation, as time consuming as determining that may be.  If these children are as gifted as their mother, there may be the need for _all of the Brotherhood_ when the time comes to finally meet them."

            "_All?" she repeated sarcastically, "Am I to __assume then that another Brother is coming home?"_

            Magneto grinned secretively, regarding Mystique with exaggerated curiosity.  

            "And would that please you?" he asked, "To hear that Victor is finally returning after all this time?"

            Mystique glared at him viciously, "Why would it matter to me, Erik?  _You're _the one he takes orders from.  I doubt he even realizes women have the ability to speak."

            Magneto chuckled, "I, however, _do not doubt_ that he is very well aware of all of _your_ abilities, my dear."

            Mystique stopped and turned slowly towards him, her eyes dangerously seductive and a wicked grin curling on her lips.

            "And…how would he know that?"

            Magneto did not reply, but looked pleasantly amused by Mystique's mockingly innocent chiding.  He grasped her by the upper arms, and brought his face close to hers.  He felt her icy pretense betrayed by her body's soft response.

            "Soon, my dear," he said softly, "No one will _ever _question your worth again…human, or mutant."

            Within the privacy of their fortress, the lovers folded into each other, reveling in both their growing strength and in anticipation of the future.


	4. Chapter Three: Sister and Brothers

Disclaimer:  I own nothing in regards to the Marvel and other characters portrayed in this little ditty.  Ramblings…read on.

Author's note:  Thanks again for all reviews!  I think I need to say that a lot because I do appreciate the feedback.  I've got to warn you, some of my favorite characters are in the Brotherhood so I plan to spend some time on them.  I hate to reintroduce characters, but I want to give them each a setting and frame of mind for what happened after X2, just like with Remy or the Professor in the first book.  Crossover characters will come soon, but let's get to know the Brothers (and Sisters) a little bit better first.  :-)

Chapter Three:

Walking down the round stone corridor, Yuriko typed quickly with a sharp stylus onto a small hand-held computer.  The reconnaissance video and photos were labeled and dated in preparation for their addition to the Brotherhood's mainframe.  

In her months on the Island, she had helped Magneto update all of the electronic systems, slowly making the Island's computer one of the most powerful in the world.  The software had been sorely outdated, but the hardware and mechanical systems had been pristine, diligently cared for by the mutant Magneto called Toad.  With his assistance, Yuriko had been able to integrate her knowledge of military software and technology into the Island's existing systems.  The efficiency had been greatly improved, but still did not yet completely meet the Lady's standards.

On the surface, the Lady Deathstrike was all she had once been, disciplined, efficient and terrifyingly deadly to her enemies.  Inwardly, however, she had changed much from the mindless, hollow slave that Stryker had made her to be.  Her eyes were dark, no longer discolored by the mind-altering enzyme, which had been used to keep her a prisoner for so long, and they blazed with an inner light.

Her emotionless facade was betrayed only by the burning need for revenge she held towards all those who were associated with William Stryker.  Magneto had persuaded her to join his Brotherhood with that promise, that one day she would have her chance for vengeance.  

And, he had been true to his word.  

Barely a month after the flood at Alkalai Lake, Magneto had given the Lady a mission, to find a base run by Stryker's surviving teams and gather information regarding the recent increase in mutant activity around the world.  What remained unspoken, however, had been the _manner_ in which Deathstrike would accomplish this task.  He had left that for _her_ to decide...

Her decision...her choice...her own free will...

In the end, she never discussed with her new commander how she fulfilled her task, and he never asked.  She had simply handed him the information, flexed her strong fingers with a metallic cracking and smiled, quite satisfied.

She was still a soldier, still ready to follow her commander's orders, and the _decision_ to follow those orders remained entirely her own.  There in was the difference between her life now and her life before...

Magneto, like any experienced leader, expected the only the best from his followers, yet, unlike Stryker, he treated them with an unspoken respect.  They were all equals, they were all Brothers, they were all mutants, and he expected no more from them then they expected from him.

So, Yuriko would use of her skills, everything she had learned in captivity, to strengthen her new Brothers, and help Magneto fight his war against the oppression of 'normal' human beings.

There was one other, however, whom Deathstrike had been unable to find, one other who she intended to take her vengeance on.  Under Alkalai Lake, when she had been a lost and unwilling pawn of William Stryker, one of her own had turned against her.  One of her own, a man just like her, had attacked her.  One of her own had killed her.

_The Wolverine_, she thought viciously, tightening her fingers into fists with a loud cracking.  He was one of Stryker's men, no matter how long ago his service had ended.  He had also been one of Stryker's experiments, and should have understood the pain Yuriko had endured, should have known she was Stryker's victim and not acting by her own will.  And, yet, he had killed her, leaving her to die in the same room in which she had suffered so much torture.

She would find him, just as she had found all of Striker's other soldiers, and she would destroy him.  Magneto had told her of the Wolverine's association with Charles Xavier, and he assured her, the Brotherhood would meet the X-Men again, but any union that had existed was broken.

So, she waited, making the most of her new life as a free being.  The wild animal inside of her patiently leashed...until the moment of revenge was upon her.

Yuriko walked through a large circular doorway opening onto a cold stony field.  The chamber, stretching almost a hundred yards in length, opened to the sky hundreds of feet above her head.  The night was dark and starless, which gave the chamber an unnerving illusion of having no upper walls or ceiling.  The lights were dim, as long as the chamber was unused, and the wind whistled loudly from the outside. 

In warmer months, the chamber would be carpeted with short grass, the natural plant life of the Island untouched by the molded metal of the other walls.  The boy, Pyro, had begun calling the area the 'Lawn' and most of the Brotherhood had picked up the nickname.  Yuriko smiled slightly at the thought of the boy mowing the chamber come spring, and an unusual sensation passed through the Lady.  As hard and cold as the Island seemed, she found more comfort here than anywhere else she could remember, and simple amusements still surprised her.

As she reached the other side, she opened one large door leading into a long, wide hallway.  The passage was lined with machinery, and several large grated fans.  The blades turned slowly, but the draw of air caused a kind of wind tunnel effect.  Deathstrike moved easily against the wind, her heavy bones encased in enough adamantium to keep the strong gusts from causing her discomfort.  

She approached one humming machine, and looked down at the boy as he sat against it, a large book in his lap.  He did not notice her presence, headphones over his ears blaring loudly and his eyes focused on his text, which he held open with some difficulty in the windy hall.

Pyro was nodding his head slightly to the music, and Yuriko watched him for a moment curiously.  He was the youngest of the Brotherhood by far, and took turns following each of the others around, learning what he could about the Island and its mechanics.  His permanent role was yet to be established, as he was so young, and Magneto encouraged him to spend the majority of his free time practicing his pyretic abilities.  

However, his most recent 'training session' had resulted in a large fire in the Brotherhood's make-shift gym, and he had been forbidden to use it again until he had made the proper repairs to that chamber.  

So, for the past few weeks, he had been working with Toad to learn the most efficient repair techniques to complete the task.  Apparently, the boy had been sent off to do some _helpful_ reading with this tech manual, which usually meant Toad had grown dangerously impatient with young Pyro, and had sent him off before the urge to knock him out became too great.  Magneto did not tolerate aggression between members of the Brotherhood.

Yuriko saw a frown form on the boy's face as he noticed her shoes, and he grinned as he looked up at her.

"Hey," he said, loudly, "You guys are back..."

He said this with some relief, and stood up as she spoke.

"Is Toad with you?" she asked, and Pyro motioned upward.

"He's still fixin' that thing on the top," the boy replied, and then shrugged, "Too far up for me...I don't do that great with heights..."

Yuriko nodded, remembering her first flight with Pyro to the Island.  The boy had held onto the restraints for dear life until they landed again, the openness of the helicopter quite different from the X-Men's small, compact jet.

"Thank you," she replied and began to move past him.

"Hey," he called before she could take more than a few steps, "Did you get my stuff?"

Yuriko smiled slightly and drew a small square packet from inside her jacket.  Pyro grinned and took it from her gratefully.  He tore open the brown paper, and opened the CD case quickly.  It was more of the same loud music he always had, a luxury Magneto tolerated, but did not appreciate quite as much as the boy.

"You're not supposed to have that until you finish the repairs," she said evenly.

Pyro grinned again, "And you weren't supposed to give it to me..."

Yuriko looked at him unblinkingly, "Only because I expect your duties to be completed before you listen to it."

"Oh," Pyro said, disappointed but still grinning, "Well, thanks anyway…"

Yuriko nodded and turned to walk away.  Pyro called out to her again.

"Um…hey, will you need any help with, um…you know, whatever?" he asked vaguely.  

He had only had a few chances to leave the Island over the past few months, and Yuriko imagined after three weeks with two less people to interact with, he must be starving for conversation.  Magneto was generally too engaged in his own affairs to be a constant presence for the boy and Toad was even more elusive.

"Tomorrow…" she said firmly, remembering Magneto's request that she rest, "I could use your assistance with some new upgrades for the mainframe.  I trust you have been learning its basic functions…"

"Yeah," Pyro said, looking a little brighter, "Sure…"

Yuriko nodded again, and turned away one last time, leaving the boy again to his studies.  She imagined it must be very difficult for him to live among so few after living among so many.  She thought of her own captivity, isolated, left without human contact for days on end, and she sympathized with the boy.  She was once again, surprised by her emotions, and she refocused on her last duties of the night.

She looked upward, and saw movement among the highest scaffolding of the machine.  Quickly, she climbed a stationary, wall-mounted ladder until she reached the upper tier.  The wind was milder above the main fans, and she frowned as she looked around.

There was no sign of the other Brotherhood member anywhere.  She walked forward, until she passed a low overhang, and found several tools scattered around an open grate in the floor.  She was glancing down through the dark opening when she heard noise from above.

The rhythmic clicking of a socket wrench guided her eyes to the spot where Toad was hanging, upside down from underneath the over hang.  She heard him cursing softly in his heavy English accent as he worked, angry insulting words aimed at the inanimate machine.

"Bloody piece of shit…" he muttered, "If it wasn't so cold you'd be…ah, fuckin' hell…"

Toad opened his fist and the socket wrench dropped noisily to the floor.  It passed bear inches from the Lady's head, but she did not even blink.  When Toad finally looked down, ready to reach for another tool, he noticed her standing below him.

He did not speak, just turned away and began to work again.  After a moment, he glanced down again, saw she was still there and sighed.

"Jet?" he asked, sounding almost bored.

"Yes," she replied.

"Which wing?" he asked.

"Left," she replied.

Toad nodded in acknowledgement, "Right."

Yuriko was not sure if that was an attempt at humor or not so she offered a small smile.  Toad sighed again and began to open a power panel.  He had worked for about a minute before he noticed she had not left.

"Something else, then?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"Surveillance footage," she said simply, knowing that would stir a reaction.

Toad looked down at her, his wide eyes exaggerated by the round work goggles he wore, but Yuriko could tell she caught his interest.

"Right," he repeated, almost thoughtfully, "We reviewin' it tonight or tomorrow?"

Yuriko heard a touch of anticipation in his voice, and said with finality, "Tomorrow."

Toad did not respond, but he did not need to.  She knew he heard her quite well.

Yuriko walked away quickly, and left Toad to ponder alone.  As she reached the ladder, she heard a quick snap sound, as Toad finally grabbed another tool from the ground with his long tongue.


	5. Chapter Four: St John

Chapter Four:

            John Allerdyce walked slowly out of the windy tunnel, and began to make his way along the edge of the 'Lawn' toward his own quarters.  He had picked up a handful of stones and was throwing them, one at a time, against the metallic walls.  Each impact resulted in a dull clang which reverberated around the room, but John could not hear it over the loud music playing in his ears.

            The parcel which the Lady Deathstrike had given him was tucked deeply in his coat, and remained unopened.  He took her warning about not listening to the new CD until his task in the gym-room had been completed.  He knew the consequence for breaking Magneto's order would result in him losing his music privileges all together…or worse.

            While the rules in the Brotherhood were never set down in stone, there was one simple principle John knew they all adhered to…Magneto's word was law, and no one would go against his orders.

            John, known now by no other name than Pyro to his Brothers, quickly learned during the first few months with Magneto that the man expected more of him than Xavier ever had.  There was no pretense of compassion or pity for what Pyro was here, no sympathy for his struggles to control his power.  He was to follow and learn, but he would not be _taught_, he would not be _instructed_ with every step he took.  He was to either keep up with his duties, or be left behind.

            His main responsibility was always to his mutant abilities.  Practice them, master them, and in the end, be prepared to use them against their enemies.  The more Pyro listened to Magneto's words, the more he was beginning to believe that war was coming, and the angrier he became at the lies Xavier's school had put in head.  _Fellowship with human beings, __educating human beings about how __normal mutants are, how much they __belong in the world…_

            Bull shit.  No one should need to be _convinced that mutants have the right to exist.  Humans do not question the right of other humans to be born yet they look on those with a slight genetic difference as wrong or unnatural.  Well, maybe evolution is making it the other way around._

            _Neanderthals, Pyro thought with a smug grin, __Just like Neanderthals. _

            He reminisced back on his last field trip with Xavier's school, with contempt.  Storm had dragged them to the evolution exhibit, explaining how obsolete kinds of human beings had died out as another more powerful species appeared.  The more evolved species survived…

            _Fuckin' A, he thought, unconsciously rotating his lighter in his hand, _Human beings are standing around like Neanderthals…only they're a little smarter than the cavemen.  They see the superior race that'll make them obsolete…make them extinct…They won't stand a chance, we have the firepower and they have rocks and sticks…__

            Pyro found a bitter amusement in this idea, and grinned.  The Island may not be the most fun place in the world, a lot less cushy than Xavier's, but at least Magneto was honest with him, he did not candy-coat and kid-proof the truth.  Pyro was treated like an equal here, like an adult, and if the others treated him harshly, it was only because he needed that discipline, making him strong, making him forget the pain of his past…

            _God among insects, he thought and with a snap and hiss of his lighter, Pyro pushed thoughts of the past away.  He never wasted time thinking about it at Xavier's, no matter how any of his 'teachers' prodded him to express his anger at his parents, and he would not waste Magneto's time with it here.  When the war came, he would be the most dangerous soldier any human army had ever faced._

            But, they may not only be fighting _human_ armies.  

            Pyro grinned to himself, the expression fiery and menacing.  Eight months of work with the Brotherhood had changed his attitude on many things.

            Xavier, under all his words of unity and peace, was collecting to himself a large arsenal of mutant weapons…and beginning to train them.  Pyro wondered if they had ever completed that secret training room all the students once whispered about.  He wondered how many of his 'friends' were training to be X-Men.  He wondered which one of them he would meet in combat first…

            Pyro walked down a narrow hall towards his room.  He stepped onto a short bridge spanning the distance over a mass of water running towards a drop off, beyond which was a line of barred cells.  At the end of the bridge was the door to his room, and he pushed it open and entered.  Following his first days with the Brotherhood, it became apparent that giving him a room near water was beneficial for any _accidents that may occur in his quarters._

            He pulled the door closed behind him and sighed, dropping the heavy manual Toad had given him noisily to the floor.  He could not wait until he finished repairing the walls in the gym so he did not have to spend every waking moment with the strange mutant.  Pyro tried to keep up with Toad while they worked but it was fucking impossible, and the guy had less patience than Mystique when it came to Pyro's questions.  He was glad he would be working with the Lady tomorrow, at least she had a small (very small) shred of humor.

            Pyro kicked the manual once for emphasis and snapped his lighter with a chuckle.  

            Despite how vicious and strange his new Brothers could be, he still enjoyed being treated like an adult much more than being treated like a child under Xavier's rule.

            _With everything I've put up with, he thought, __They should just canonize me now.  St. John Allerdyce has a nice ring to it…_


	6. Chapter Five: Quiet Rage

Chapter Five:

            As the Lady Deathstrike headed out of the corridor, Mortimer Toynbee waited until he heard the heavy outer doors close before pausing again in his work.  He clung to the wall with one strong hand, and used the other to rub the scar on his face.  

            The discoloration on his green skin ran from the left corner of his mouth in a jagged line down his jaw, growing darker and wider as it reached his neck.  It was a bitter reminder of his failure during the Liberty Island battle, when the witch had hit him with a bolt of lightning.

            But, old vendettas did not consume him for the moment, the chiding inner voices silent as he thought on other things.

            Toad quickly completed his work on the high ventilators and jumped down to the ground.  He landed easily, almost noiselessly, and began to gather his tools.  He wanted to begin work on the Brotherhood's jet before it was needed again, which he knew would be very soon, if Deathstrike's new surveillance footage positively identified their targets.

            Crouching in the shadows, Toad leapt once and cleared the distance to the wall-mounted ladder.  He slid down quickly and headed off in the direction of the landing bay.  He carried a heavy bag with his tools over his shoulder, and did not take the same path as Pyro or the Lady as he left the windy hall.  He maneuvered his way along the walls and through various small passages, which no one else would have been able to use.  He preferred to move around this way, systematically avoiding an accidental meeting with anyone else on the Island.

            If Magneto needed him, he would be called, otherwise he had no desire to interact with anyone else right now.  His main focus was preparing for the next mission, completing his work to the utmost perfection.  

            However, he could not help but be sidetracked from his tasks.  As much as he fought against distraction, his mind wandered back to a video Deathstrike had recovered from one of Stryker's abandoned bases, the video upon which Magneto had formed his current agenda.  He had insisted all of the Brotherhood familiarize themselves with the tapes, ensuring them that they should know what dangers Magneto's plans would hold.

            It had been brief, apparently from a field camera worn by one of Stryker's troops.  There was gunfire, and there was the girl, bullets ricocheting away from her, trails of fire slowly burning away from her feet.  The girl is grabbed from behind by an older blonde-haired woman an instant before the footage ends with a bright explosion.  The video was not very old, probably taken only a few years before Stryker's untimely demise, and clear enough to show the fear on the woman's face…and the fury in the girl's eyes.

            For some reason, Toad found the footage immensely disturbing…yet, also completely fascinating.  The pure rage which consumed the girl in the moment the ground began to burn made Toad wonder exactly what had caused her anger.  He understood anger, he understood hate…and watching the video was like watching those emotions brought to life.

            Before he realized it, Toad was crouching outside of the information room, listening to Deathstrike's quick typing and once again rubbing the scar on his face thoughtfully.  He stood, dropping his tools to the ground, and pulling the round lenses from his face.

            The Information Room was long and narrow, lined with several computer stations which he and the Lady had installed months ago.  She was sitting at the central controls, before a large monitor, extracting the information she had gathered in Chicago from her hand-held to the main computer.

            Toad walked up behind her quietly and looked at the monitor intently.  If the Lady noticed his presence, she did not acknowledge it, and he had not expected her to.  He watched as dozens of surveillance photos blinked past, mostly of Mystique in various disguises interacting with their targets.  The computer chimed as the uploading was complete and Deathstrike paused in her typing.

            After a moment, she made a few quick key strokes and a media box appeared on the screen.  A video clip began to play and Toad leaned forward slightly.

            It had been shot from a distance and moved in closer as a young woman with long red hair stepped out of a coffee shop.  She was smiling, chatting with someone pleasantly and walked around the corner out of the shot.  The shot pulled back, and a small flag on a street light read, "Chicago University."

            The clip began again, and Deathstrike turned her head to watch Toad curiously.  His strange, slightly large eyes shone with a gold gleam as the light from the monitors reflected in them.  She had watched his fascination with these tapes grow over the past few months, and was beginning to wonder if his duty to Magneto was the only reason he studied them so closely.  

            Toad noticed her watching him and looked away from the screen with some effort.  He walked away without a word, ignoring the Lady's curious stare which followed him until he stepped out again into the hall.

            He reshouldered his bundle and headed to the landing bay.

            As Toad walked, the brief respite offered by the new video was replaced by a vicious inner torment.  He never spoke about it, even to Magneto, and now he ground his teeth as he walked.

            _Don't you look at her, you freak, a voice rose up in his mind.  It was a dead voice, one of many from his past.  The words rung painfully in his mind, and he spoke quietly to himself._

            "Shut up…"

            Another voice joined the first, _Freak, what do you think you're doing?  You shouldn't be here, watching, watching, no one wants your freak face staring at them…_

            "Shut up…"

            With the voices came a sick shame, and the taunts of his youth haunted Mortimer Toynbee's psyche with vicious glee.

            _Stupid freak…ugly little monster…get away from me!  Don't you look at them!  They don't want to see your stupid green face, get back where you belong…_

            "Shut up…shut the fuck up…"

            Now, the anger came, years of torment creating the wall of hate he used to keep those voices out of his head.  He focused on it, thought on those who once hurt him, thought of them dead, his powerful legs crushing them into the ground, shoving their awful jeering facing into the dirt.  A thought that held more memory than he would admit…

            Anger, rage…hate.  Defense mechanisms so ingrained in him over his decade in service to Magneto that he rarely felt anything else.  Damn the rest of the world, Toad had his place now, had his purpose.  He, for one, could not wait for the war to begin.

            Toad entered the landing bay with a fierce smile on his face, the past beaten down again…at least for the time being.  


	7. Chapter Six: Shadows

Author's note:  I own no characters associated with Marvel or any other previously published source.  However, the characters featured in this chapter were devised by me, a little party mix of crossovers personified.  

PS – A couple of reviewer responses at the end!  :-)

Chapter Six: 

            In the darkest embraces of the night, creatures of unspeakable power roamed freely throughout the city.  The normally busy streets of Chicago were unnaturally quiet, and the harsh street lights shone down onto empty sidewalks.  The most shops and restaurants were closed, and the metal gates protecting the storefronts creaked eerily in the night wind.

            Any pedestrians unlucky enough to be venturing home at this late hour were bundled against the cold, hooded and moving quickly like dark ghosts along the otherwise abandoned paths that cut around the city's tall dark buildings.

            In one narrow alley, a vampire stood in the shadows and waited for his prey.  He had watched her all night as she ventured from the inner city back towards her home.  She took the same course every night, so she had not been difficult to track, to learn her patterns and nightly routine.

            The young woman had stopped at an 'all-night' convenience store, but the undead predator was patient, and knew his opportunity to attack would come very soon.

            His eyes were icy blue, glinting like glass in the dim light.  He seemed rather young, no older than thirty, but was two decades older than the age he appeared.  Most of the time, he was able to use his young façade as a way to get close to his victims, earn their trust before he was able to find a private spot to feed.

            However, he knew better than to directly approach this intended victim.  She was clever in the ways of his kind.  One only needed to observe how casually and confidently she walked down the dark city streets to know that she may be more than she seems.

            After a few moments, the store's door opened and a small jingling bell signaled the young woman's presence again on the street.  She was smiling, waving farewell to some familiar person within, and began to walk towards the hidden danger waiting for her in the next alley.

            Her red hair blew freely from underneath her baseball cap, and she walked, almost in a march, down the sidewalk.  She was humming, some light happy tune and did not seem to be at all aware of the vampire's vicious glare.  A large book bag was hanging around her body by a wide strap, and bounced heavily against her lower back as she walked.

            The vampire grinned, his upper row of sharp teeth glowing unnaturally white as he moved closer to the light.  The girl was burdened and oblivious to his presence.  She would be easy to surprise, and she would have difficulty running…

            The young woman stepped in and out of white circles shining from the street lamps, and moved past the vampire's alley.  The creature regarded her with wild anticipation, but…let her take a few more steps…

            In a blur of shadows cast by the vampire's long black coat, he lunged at the girl, teeth barred, ready to tear into the soft flesh of her neck.  The vampire became an inhuman rush of power, moving with incredible speed and an uncanny grace, his steps light and virtually silent.  The scent of the girl's blood drew out the most primal force from within and he loomed behind her, reaching for her with strong cold hands.

            Before he could touch her, the young woman ducked and spun to her right.  Before the vampire could react, she swung her heavy pack from around her body and clobbered him in the head.  The vampire cried out in pain from the unexpected defense, as he slammed into the wall of the nearest building with a hollow thud.

            "Ow!" he yelled, grasping his bleeding temple and sliding to the ground, "Jesus Christ, Becca!  Take it easy!"

            Rebecca Malloy took a few steps toward the fallen vampire and smirked smugly.

            "That's what you get for sneakin' up on somebody like that!" she scolded, her voice filled with too much amusement to be serious.

            Sebastian Malloy looked up at her with annoyance and sighed.  Rebecca chuckled and held out a hand to help him stand.  He tilted his head from side to side experimentally, wincing slightly and then dusted off his coat and pants.  The wound on his head was already fading, his unnatural blood being drawn back into his body.

            "So," he began with a nonchalant tone, "How long did you know I was there?"

            "Since I left the Library," she said sarcastically, not buying the indifference in his voice.  

            Sebastian glared at her but smirked.      

            "There's no way," he said with contempt, "I was hidden three blocks away."

            "Well, yeah," she said, "But you _always_ hide three blocks away.  You need to get a new system, Bas.  If you were still stalkin' people _for real_, you'd have starved to death by now."

            Sebastian scowled, almost comically, and touched the sharp tips of his teeth with his tongue.  He had actually deprived himself from feeding tonight, the shipment of cow's blood from the meat market still on ice in his personal refrigerator.  He was hoping the instinct to feed would help him move faster, attack more effectively, so that he could keep his overconfident niece on her toes.  Unfortunately for him (but actually to his great relief), Rebecca had paced him, even in his blood lust, and defended herself quite well against a much stronger assailant.

            They continued along the road towards their home, strolling side by side in pleasant company.  The similarity in their features was unmistakable, and their kinship obvious by their mannerisms.  The vampire's blue eyes were now softer, almost identical to both Rebecca and her brother.  His hair was dark brown, trimmed short now, but would be shaggy again by the following night.

            His expression changed and he smiled at her proudly, "That was a good move, though.  You were able to use that bag as a pretty powerful weapon."

            Rebecca grinned, "Try lugging four or five of my textbooks home with you every night, and you realize that there really isn't any difference between having them in my backpack and carrying around a pillowcase full of cinderblocks."

            Sebastian chuckled, "I thought you _liked_ the pillowcase of cinderblocks I got you for Christmas?"

            "Yeah, but it just didn't match the purse full of Mace you got me the year before," she shot back, "Jeez, Bas, why don't you go pick on Sid for a while.  Isn't he due for a little 'Vampire-Self-Defense' lesson?"

            "He can take care of himself," Sebastian replied, a little too quickly, "You know Sid's a lot less of a target for the nasties out there than you are.  Plus, he doesn't spend most of _his time alone, or around at the Underground's clubs, or with…"_

            "Or hanging out with a bunch of loser outcasts and demons, right?" Rebecca finished bitterly, and looked up at him with a smirk, "Present company excepted, of course…"

            Sebastian sighed, "Bec, you know I don't have anything against your friends.  They may be a bunch of _loser demons, but at least _I know_ they're all on the level with you, trustworthy…as much as they can be.  Hell, you can learn more about the Underground from them in one night than a year with the Council.  But, it's still dangerous…even if they do have respect for you…"_

            "You mean, fear…don't you?" she asked quietly, giving him a sad smile, "They're all scared of me a little bit."

            "And when they realize you're not going to just incinerate them for being what they are, they form that _respect_," Sebastian emphasized to his niece, "That respect makes it easier to be your friend…"

            Rebecca laughed, "And here I thought it was my angry, sarcastic personality they all liked."

            "Well, that too," Sebastian said quickly and nudged her playfully in the arm.

            They walked along quietly for a while, and Sebastian debated whether or not to ask her what he had actually come to talk to her about.  He looked down as he walked, and took a deep breath before continuing.

            "Sid said you had another nightmare the other night," he said quickly and he saw Rebecca tense, though she did not slow her walking.

            "It was nothing," she replied, "Just a dream…I don't even remember what it was about…"

            "You're not lying to me, are you, Rebecca Charlene Malloy?" Sebastian said sarcastically, but with a serious undertone.  Rebecca rolled her eyes and sighed.

            "I don't lie, Bas," she said, and smirked, "Liars are schmucks…"

            Sebastian nodded, and smiled.  That had been one of his father's, her grandfather's, favorite sayings.

            "I know," he said, "But…it got out of control though, right?"

            Rebecca ground her teeth.  She hated when he skated questions around what he really wanted to know.

            "No," she said firmly, "It didn't."

            _Not that time, she thought to herself, but did not say it aloud._

            "The wall had some singes," she admitted, "But it stopped before I'd even woken up the whole way."

            Sebastian nodded as she spoke, knowing she was telling him the truth, but still concerned about her.  It did not escape his attention that she was rubbing her arms as she spoke, where the lines of fading scars ran from downward from her inner elbow.

            "Just…" he began, and she looked up at him firmly, "Just…let me know if it starts to get bad.  I just…"

            "Worry," she finished for him with a grin and he nodded sheepishly.

            Sebastian Malloy had raised his niece and nephew since they were fifteen, right after their grandparents, his own mother and father, had passed away.  Before then, he had been what he was, a vicious killing machine, lost of all cares of his former life.  But, when he learned of the twins, duty to his family overruled any other path his life had started on when he had been made into a vampire.  So, if he was a little protective of his niece and nephew, it was only because he wanted to give them something better than the trauma of their past.

            Rebecca wrapped on arm through Sebastian's and leaned her head against his shoulder.  He nudged her again, affectionately, and she grinned.

            "I can take care of myself, too, you know," she said defiantly, and Sebastian laughed.

            "Yeah, I know," he said, "It's just that 'maternal' voice inside of me, I guess.  Just wants to nag you every now and then."

            "Hey, Mother's Day is in a few months," Rebecca teased innocently, "You gotta _earn your gift!"_

            "You got it," Sebastian said, and then scowled, "But, no more bras, ok?"

***

To Reviewer Sayra Louise:  Oh, yep, she jinxed herself good.  :-)  And, she's not gonna knock on wood before the fun begins…

To Reviewer The Fire Dancer:   Daily updates are tough, but I luckily haven't been cursed with writer's block lately (ah! knocking on wood!).  Thanks for reading on…

To Reviewer Arain Rowan:  Grammar sux.  I would be lost without speelchek.  Hey, I'm distracting you from homework!  Excellent.  Homework sux, too.


	8. Chapter Seven: Identity

Chapter Seven:

            Mystique walked slowly down the corridor from her quarters, moving silently on bare feet.  She did not expect to meet anyone as she headed toward Magneto's office, so she strolled slowly, reflecting on her previous night's rendezvous with pleasure.  After three weeks on her mission in Chicago, she was glad to know Erik had missed her presence as much as she had missed his.

            Since his escape from Stryker's plastic prison, Erik had a renewed motivation for his work…and a new passion for all things he had been denied during his unlawful incarceration.  In the end, Mystique had been the most instrumental key to his escape, a fact which Magneto would not forget.  Their loyalty to each other was fused stronger than it had ever been, and they were more powerful because of it.

            As she passed one metallic wall, Mystique noticed her reflection there and paused.  She stared at her true face silently, with cold yellow eyes.  Her skin, the richest blue, was bare and she examined her shape and figure carefully.  With all the forms she forced her body into, she always wondered if her true body would always stay so pliable.

            She was not a young woman, though she had always taken pride in keeping her body to its most perfect form.  Her muscles were defined and powerful, molded from decades of training with men twice her strength.  Her curves were smooth, though her figure was different from when she was younger.  She would not have used her mutation to hide her true appearance even if it had been less than perfect.  If she was to be proud of her true form, she would make it something to be proud of.

            No one noticed the changes she saw in herself, however, because no one in the Brotherhood had known her in her youth.  They had no point of comparison, and they were not about to question Mystique's perfect form.  The reason her hips (among other things) were not as they were when she was young was a secret known only to her, and to Erik.  Having a child left any woman's body changed, and Mystique preferred the curves of her age more than the lankiness she had as a child.

            As she stared at her reflected, she shifted, changing her face, her skin, her hair, her eyes, until she was molded into a different form.  She had not changed much, just the coloring, giving her skin a pale complexion, making her hair blonde and wavy, watching her eyes change from yellow to green.

            The image was still beautiful, her face keeping the same shape, her expression even and blank, but for Mystique it was a horrible mask.  This was the face she hid behind for most of her young life, creating a lie of normalcy, living with a bitter guilt about deceiving those who loved her.  At least, those who seemed to love her until they discovered she was a mutant…

            Those she loved…before.  

            She felt nothing for anyone in her life before the Brotherhood.  She regarded the images of her past as one would an old photo album filled with faces she would rather forget.  And she had done just that, she had forgotten; she had been able to keep those memories locked away for decades…until someone from her past appeared again.

            Appeared…right out of thin air.

            Mystique forced her face back to her own, and watched her past disappear again.  All there was now was Mystique, and no other.  

            Identity…this is who she was, this is who she had always been.  In all her many shapes, everyone else she could become, everyone else she _had_ been…what it came down to was herself, her own identity, Mystique.  And, she was not about to let a piece of the long forgotten past distract her from who she truly was.

            And, yet, a voice resounded in her head.  A soft, gentle voice…so much like his father's…

            _Why not stay disguised all the time? he had asked her, __You know, look like everyone else?_

            "Because I am no one else," she said aloud, "This is who I am.  I have always been…me."

            With one slow breath, Mystique gathered herself again, any trace of disturbance rolling away from her perfect blue face.  She was like a painting, a statue, aloof and unfeeling.

            Not...entirely unfeeling.

            Mystique continued walking until she reached the round corridor to Magneto's office.  She heard a metallic clicking echoing from within, and smiled darkly.

***

            Magneto was sitting at his desk, typing quickly on the keyboard embedded in the surface before him.  A monitor displayed information about dozens of mutants, from newspapers, police reports, even the permanent records from several different high schools.  They were powerful mutants, some orphaned or in foster homes, some incarcerated for any number of crimes, but all suffering from being discovered as mutants.  Discriminated, ostracized, and even physically attacked for simply being different.

            These were the ones Magneto would find.  These were the mutants he wanted for his Brotherhood.  Torn, angry, hurt…all at the hands of human beings.  He would show them the glory of who they were, the superiority of mutants over their homo sapien oppressors.

            From the long hall leading into his office, he saw a figure walking towards him, her movement soft, feminine, meant only for him, and he smiled.

            Mystique stepped into the room and walked towards his desk.

            They did not speak, but their faces expressed what they were thinking.

            Magneto was ready to start gathering more Brothers to him.  He was ready to take the next step towards mutant freedom.  And, he would start by finding one of the most powerful mutants who had ever lived.

            He stood, and met her gaze at eye level.  Mystique glanced down at the monitor and frowned slightly when she saw photos of herself, in other forms, as she encountered their targets on the open city streets.  Magneto saw her agitation and smiled reassuringly.

            Just because she worked in disguise did not mean she was betraying her true self.  For that was what made her special, what made her a mutant, her ability, her power.  As Magneto could effect metal, so she could effect the perceptions of others.  Each mutant to their own gifts, each mutant to themselves.

            Magneto and Mystique stared as each other for a long moment.

            He, a lost and broken little boy, made himself into something stronger, superior to what he was.

            She, a girl with no identity but lies, made herself into a woman of simple purpose and truth.  

            Together, two of the most powerful beings on the planet.

            "When?" Mystique asked.

            "Soon," Magneto replied.

            Her eyes narrowed, "Victor?"

            He nodded, "On his way…"

            "You're sure?" she asked, sounding doubtful.

            "Of course," he replied.

            "Who else?" she asked.

            "All of us…" he replied.

            Mystique considered this for a moment, but he continued before she could question him again.

            "You have no idea what that woman can do," he said, "She destroyed an entire town in barely ten minutes…out of vengeance.  I wonder what she may do…if we threaten her children."

            "How do you know she isn't dead?  Or that she would even care?" Mystique asked coldly.

            Magneto did not reply, but turned the monitor around for Mystique to watch.

            It was the first video, the first found by Deathstrike.  It showed the girl, the one they had been watching in Chicago, and the woman grabbing her from behind, holding out one hand protectively as the footage ends with the explosion.

            Mystique met Magneto's gaze again.  He looked confident and unyielding, and regarded her with measured significance.

            "Mothers…" he said, "I've learned…_always_ know what becomes of their children.  They _know if their children are in danger…they know if their children are among the enemy…"_

            Mystique's face became like stone, and after a moment, she replied.

            "Yes," she said, "We do."


	9. Chapter Eight: Waiting

Chapter Eight:

            _Snap…hiss…_

            Pyro flicked his lighter opened and sparked the flame to life.  He looked at it for a moment, smiling almost tenderly at its glowing light, and then snapped it shut again.  

            He was moving through the Island compound quickly.  Mystique had roused him early, with a loud, unfriendly knock on the front door of his quarters, to let him know Magneto had called the Brothers together.  They were going to discuss what was found in Chicago, and what the next stage of Magneto's plan was.

            _Snap…hiss…_

            Pyro repeated the nervous action over again.  There was comfort in knowing the fire was there, waiting for his command.  In his chaotic life, that was always the part of it he could control.  That was what made him special…what made him like a god…

            _God of fire, he thought with a measure of arrogance, __I should have called myself 'Mars' or something.  But I don't need to be a god…I'll settle for sainthood…_

            He chuckled at the joke he shared only with himself, and walked on, snapping his lighter every now and then for emphasis.  His sharp black boots tapped along the metal floor, his long leather coat swinging just past his knees.  The coat was dark brown, similar in color to the one he had at Xavier's, one of many things he had left behind.  

            Pyro entered the large hanger housing the Brotherhood's growing arsenal of airborne vehicles, and made his way towards the other side.  Beams of light shone down from numerous glass skylights, which were cut at different angles in the high ceiling.  The sunlight caused the large metallic supports lining the stone wall to shine, casting odd shadows around the room. 

As he approached the silver jet, he heard someone working diligently, the sound of metal on metal echoing through the chamber.  Pyro glanced up and saw Toad crouching atop one wing, frowning over his large goggles in concentration.

"Hey," Pyro greeted him.

Toad paused only long enough to spare him a quick glance before returning to his work.  Pyro took the response grudgingly, knowing indifference was usually as close to friendly as the green mutant ever got. 

Pyro sighed and looked around the room for any of the other Brothers.  

"So...where are we meeting?" he asked, feeling a little anxious.  He had never met another mutant who could control fire, so he was interested in who of the Brotherhood would be going to find her.  

Toad did not look up as he responded, "In Magneto's office."

Pyro nodded, "Oh.  Should we head over there?"

Toad gave the boy an annoyed glance but spoke again, "Just waitin' on the word."

"Oh," he repeated.  He lingered there, with his hands in his pockets, wondering just how long it would be before the 'word' came.  When awaiting Magneto's call, it could be minutes or hours.  One simply had to be ready to go, right away, when the call came.

Pyro stood silently for a few minutes, but the tedium of the Island had been weighing on him lately, so he decided to try to start a conversation while they waited for word from Magneto.

"So, what's up with the jet?" Pyro asked, earning himself another annoyed glare, "Mystique ding the bumper or something?"

Toad frowned down at him, and tilted his head cynically.  However, he did find the image of Mystique backing the jet into another vehicle (maybe having to exchange insurance information) amusing, and he smirked.

"Jets don't have bumpers," Toad replied, continuing his work.

"Yeah, I know," Pyro said smugly, "It was a _joke_..."

Toad looked down at him again, and Pyro grinned sarcastically.

"Ya'know...a _joke_," Pyro said, and Toad rolled his eyes without amusement.  

The motion was exaggerated by the lenses he wore and Pyro suppressed another comment.  After eight months, he had learned the tolerance level of the other Brotherhood members, and he knew not to push those limits.  While Toad was typically reserved in his emotions, Pyro had only needed to see him lose his temper once and to know that anger was not something he ever wanted directed at him.

Glancing around the room again, Pyro noticed with some relief that Mystique heading toward them from the direction of Magneto's office.  Her face was even and impassive, looking as apathetic as a statue, but at least her presence meant Pyro would not have to wait around in silence for another hour.  Toad had apparently noticed her also, as Pyro could hear him gathering his things from above.

As Mystique reached the jet, she gave each of the other mutants a long look, almost measuring them up before they went to see Magneto.  Pyro shifted, trying not to look too uncomfortable by her scrutiny, and stood with his shoulders back.  Her gazed moved to Toad, who barely acknowledged her presence.

"We ready to start?" Pyro asked and Mystique looked at him again.

"No," she replied, "I was just making sure everyone was here.  We're still waiting for another arrival.  He's traveling from the north by water, but should be arriving shortly."

"Really?" Toad suddenly spoke from above, glancing down at Mystique with a wicked grin, "The pussy's coming home, then?"

Mystique did not reply, and the reason for Toad's scathing tone was lost on Pyro.

            "Who're we waiting for?" Pyro asked.

            "Another of our Brothers," she replied, and glanced up at Toad coolly, who chuckled and pulled off his lenses and put them in his tool case.

            Before Pyro could question further, a low rumbling could be heard reverberating from outside the compound.  Pyro glanced up with a curious frown and a smooth smile spread across Mystique's face.  The dying roar of the boat's engine was a noise she recognized.  She gave Toad once last warning glance, and walked off towards the dock to greet the new arrival.

            Pyro watched her go, and heard Toad land solidly behind him as he jumped from the wing.  Toad was still smirking as he shouldered his pack and began to walk towards Magneto's office.

            Pyro walked quickly to catch up with him and frowned curiously.

            "Pussy?" he asked and Toad gave him a broad grin.

            "Yeah...as in cat..."


	10. Chapter Nine: Ready

Chapter Nine:

            In the cold morning air, Mystique stood along the edge of the dock, waiting patiently for the last Brother to arrive.  The boat was small, but powerful, able to move as fast as most land-bound vehicles while carrying a great weight.  Considering the immensity of its operator, the need for such durability was obvious.

            Mystique smiled darkly as Victor Creed, known to the Brotherhood as Sabertooth, stepped off the boat and walked toward her down the dock.  She stood with her arms folded, seeming as aloof and untouchable as a Greek goddess, and did not look the least bit intimidated by the large mutant's presence.

            Sabertooth stood nearly seven feet tall, the long hair on his head and face unkempt, making him look ferial and dangerous.  His eyes were dark, almost black, even in the bright morning light, and his haggard clothes gave testament to his year-long hiatus from Magneto's service.  Mystique had no idea where it was he went when he left the Island (which he had always done more frequently than the rest of the Brotherhood), but he always returned when Magneto sent for him.

            Mystique wondered how loyal Sabertooth still was to their cause.  He had, after all, not returned to the Island after Magneto's capture, but disappeared into the wilderness.  He had been difficult to find, but not so difficult to coerce him back to the Brotherhood.  He, after all, as most of them did, had a vendetta to settle with their mutual enemies.

            Sabertooth walked up to her, his face brooding and vicious, and grumbled in a deep voice.

            "Where's Magneto?"

            Mystique tilted her head slightly to look up at him.

            "Inside," she replied, "We've been waiting for you..."

            Sabertooth moved past her quickly, and Mystique looked after him with quiet contempt.

            _Nice to see you too_, she thought and followed him towards the compound.

***

            Pyro and Toad reached the entrance of the circular tunnel that lead to Magneto's office, and Toad paused as he dropped his tool pack.  Pyro took a few steps inside, and stopped.  He could not see Toad from where he stood, and wondered if he should wait or continue onward.

            He leaned again the round wall and drew out his lighter.

            _Snap...hiss..._

            The clicking echoed down the long passageway, and Pyro looked toward the exit of the tunnel.  The lights from the office were dim, and he wondered if anyone else was in there yet.

            _Snap...hiss..._

            After a few minutes, Pyro sighed in boredom and twirled his lighter in his hands.  He hated waiting, it had been months since he had any real excitement and the prospect of an end to the monotony of the Island was more than welcome.

            Pyro heard a noise from behind him, and turned around, expecting to see Toad walking up the passage.

            Instead, he suddenly found himself face to face with a giant bear of a man.  Well, not quite face to face, more like face to elbow...

            Sabertooth glared down at the boy, who was unknowingly blocking the broad mutant's way down the hall.  Pyro stammered a moment, and gaped up at Sabertooth in surprised fear.

            "Move," the large mutant said in a growl and Pyro stepped quickly out of his way.

            Sabertooth took a step forward, still looming over the boy, and snarled warningly.  Pyro took the hint; keep out of this guy's way.  Got it.

            He glanced down the hall as he heard someone laugh softly.  Toad was crouching close to the entrance, and grinning wickedly.  

            "See, kid," Toad said, "Told you the pussy was coming home."

            Pyro's eyes widened as Sabertooth turned back and growled at the green mutant with renewed ferocity.  Toad met the vicious glare and his smile widened.

            Sabertooth turned back toward the office, and gave Pyro a rough, passing shove.  The boy hit the wall and winced.  Hearing Toad chuckle again, Pyro glared back at him.

            "As in cat?" he said angrily and Toad shrugged.

            "It was a _joke_, mate," he replied and walked past the boy, "Ya'know...a _joke_."

            Toad paused and looked back at him, waiting for the boy to follow.  Pyro stood up and straightened his coat with a brisk tug, not sharing a bit of his Brother's amusement.

            However, the expression on Toad's face changed and he looked somber as Pyro walked up to him.  What was the look, Pyro could not decide...resentment or concern?

            "You wanna watch yourself around that one," Toad said darkly, "Take it from me, kid.  He's not one to piss off unless you're sure you can get away fast...got it?"

            Pyro nodded, and Toad walked on without another word.

            As Sabertooth reached Magneto's main chamber, he found himself facing yet another stranger.  

Deathstrike stood by the tunnel's exit, hands behind her back, looking up at the new arrival with silent caution.  She assumed this was the mutant Magneto had told her they were waiting for, but she took no chances.  She waited, patiently, for her commander to give the all clear.

"Ah, my Brother," Magneto said from behind his metallic desk, "Many welcomes on your return."

Sabertooth nodded once to the man of power, and glanced down at the dark haired woman again.  She did not react to his typically overpowering presence, and made no effort to move out of his way.  Sabertooth glared at her for a moment, narrowing his eyes in scrutiny of the much smaller woman.  He inhaled once, deeply through his nose, and seemed to regard her curiously.

After a moment, he stood to his full height, and grumbled deep in his throat.  He moved further in the room, stepping _around_ Deathstrike instead of forcing past her, as he had with the smaller mutant in the corridor.

            A predator always knew another predator, and this was not the place to call challenge to her.

            Toad and Pyro also entered the chamber, followed in short time by Mystique.  Each member of the Brotherhood took their proper place, forming a loose circle around their leader.

            Magneto looked around at the five mutants, leveling a short gaze on each before he spoke.  A smile touched his face and his eyes shone with a mixture of pride and expectation.  They were all here, all those who declared their loyalty to him.  They were ready to act, ready to follow his orders, as Magneto was finally ready to begin the next step in his preparation for the war to come.

            Though they were few in number, they were strong, they were superior, even the boy with his youth and inexperience would learn to be a soldier.  There were mutants in the world of incredible power and he would find them, make them see their true enemies.  As he drew more mutants to his cause, Magneto would create an army which no force, be it human or mutant, could stand against.

            Superior…dominating…the only way to ensure the survival of his people would be to make them indestructible.

            "So…my Brothers," Magneto said, his smile honest but lined with shadow, "Time for our work to begin…"


	11. Chapter Ten: Interlude X

Chapter Ten:

Interlude X:

            _Time for our work to begin..._

            Mary awoke with a start in her dark bedroom, gasping heavily and gripping her blankets to her chin.  She looked around the room in sudden panic, until she remembered why she did not recognized the room right away.

            _Xavier's_, she thought, taking long controlled breaths, _I'm at Xavier's school. Just shy of two weeks tomorrow...or I guess it's today now..._

            She took a moment to gather herself from the dream, and collapsed back onto her pillows.

            The dream had been strange.  She had been in a large stone room, lined with silver pillars stretching up past her field of vision.  At the center sat a man, dressed in a long maroon cape and helmet.  Whomever he was speaking to remained unseen, and his words were impossible to hear.  What startled Mary out of her dream had been a sudden wreath of fire that appeared behind the man's head.  It spread along the walls and floor, and began to creep up along his desk before she screamed.  His last words ran ominously, but she did not know why.

            _Time for our work to begin..._

            What work he was talking about, she did not know.  However, the fire around him had been destructive, burning down everything around him, though he did not realize the truth.  A force he seemed to think he could control...

            Mary shook her head, and sighed.  Was it a vision or just a dream?  She did not know that either.  It was a lot easier when the visions came during the day.  Sometimes she could not tell the difference between the true sight of the future and some fiction her subconscious had invented.

            But, she would not worry about that now.  It was late, and she wanted to be alert for her visit to the Danger Room tomorrow.  She would not be participating in the training, but she was curious to see how other mutants learned to use their powers.

            So far, no other major visions had come to her, and that made any attempts at learning to predict or control them pretty much pointless.  Not that she _wanted _to have another spell or seizure-like attack, it was just annoying that now, when she was finally somewhere where they might be able to help her, the voices in her head had fallen silent.

            Mary was really not surprised.  She had guess a long time ago that whoever chose when to send her visions had a twisted sense of humor.  It would happen when she was driving a lot more often then when she was sitting and meditating.

            Other than the nonappearance of her abilities, the past couple of weeks at the school had actually been more enjoyable than she could have ever hoped.  The tone of the school was so animated, so hopeful, so much different than her sleepy little town in Arizona.  Everyone here was _interested_ in her gifts.  They actually asked her questions about it, offered her their own opinions about it, and usually would joke (real, laugh out loud joking) about their own powers.  She saw that was how many of them coped with being different, by making those differences into something that was nothing out of the ordinary.

            However, she did not entirely escape the influence of her family.  The first thing her Nana had been sure to ask her about was church, reminding her to go every week without fail, which Mary did without protest.  She actually found the atmosphere of silent study and prayer a welcome change from the boisterous and busy school.  Luckily, she had also found another person at the school who never failed to miss a day.

            Kurt had been happy to tell her all about the congregation at the local Catholic church he attended, rosary in hand, every Sunday without fail.  The mass was quite different than what Mary was used to.  Her church had drawn from the many cultural influences of her area, and had been much less reserved than the large, quiet cathedral in Westchester County.  She supposed that also had to do with the fact that the population the church served was much larger here than in her town.  So, it was nice to find someone to attend with, she hoped his diligence would help keep her attendance up as well.

            Kurt had been a little leery at first, more for her sake than his, but Mary made it quickly clear she could not give less of a crap how the blue mutant looked.  It was church, for God's sake (no pun intended), and she could not imagine her own pastor at home refusing someone entrance to the church just because he did not look like everyone else.

            Between he and Rogue and the others, Mary had begun to make friendships surprisingly quickly.  The houseful of strangers had taken her in like a long lost relative, simple yet complete acceptance into their community without prejudice or judgment.  It was a comfort to know such warmth still existed in a world that was becoming colder to mutants every day.

            Mary yawned and closed her eyes.  She had no doubt Storm expected her up early tomorrow.  She was like the world's nicest drill sergeant when it came to her classes and their trainings, always friendly but also stern and commanding.

            She chuckled once before she fell back to sleep.  On their way back home from church the previous Sunday, Kurt had been speaking about Storm and the training sessions for most of the trip with a strange blush on his blue face.  She thought his attentions to Storm were very sweet, and wondered if he would ever decide to act on his feelings.

            Her last thought was again on her dream...what could it have meant?

            _Time for our work to begin..._

***

            The next morning, very early as she had predicted, Mary stood with Professor Xavier and Rogue in the observation area overlooking the Danger Room.  Mary's eyes were wide as she glanced around the chamber through the thick pane of glass.

            Down below, Cyclops was talking quickly to the small group...Storm, Nightcrawler, Iceman, and a very annoyed looking Remy LeBeau.  The others had taken more to calling him 'Gambit,' especially during his training sessions and it was how Cyclops addressed him now.

            "Gambit..." he continued, "You will take the left flank.  Take out the machines if you can.  You'll be clearing a way for any others following behind you."

            Gambit nodded, and suppressed the sudden insane need to shout at the other mutant.

            _I know, I know_, he thought with agitation, _Same as the last five times we were in here..._

            Gambit was wearing his long coat over the uniform Storm had given him.  It had many deep pockets, which were now full of small metal disks.  After several trials with different shaped objects, they had finally settled on the small two-inch wide circles.  However, Gambit still had trouble getting them to hit their intended targets.  It was like playing darts with really tiny arrows which he could never quite get the proper grip on.  And, when it came to the moving obstacles in the Danger Room, he felt pretty much useless.

            _And, why all the drills?_ He thought, reflecting back on the question that had bothered him since his first day in the Room, _What...are we going into battle or something?_

            Gambit reached into one outer pocket and felt the deck of cards hidden within the folds of his jacket.  They were almost like a good luck charm, and he ran his thumb along one corner of the deck as Cyclops gave the order to begin.

***

            In the room above, there was a quiet hiss at one of the outer doors opened.  Xavier glanced to the right and smiled as Logan stepped inside.  Rogue grinned as he walked up next to her and she pointed through the glass.

            "They're just startin'," she said, "Bobby's got the front run this time..."

            Logan nudged her teasingly, "Don't sound so impressed already...make the boy work for that..."

            Rogue laughed, and Logan spared Mary and friendly glance.

            "How've you been feeling, kid?" he asked and Mary shrugged.

            "Ok," she replied, "Nothing new.  I can't say I'm entirely glad about that but...I'm not going to complain either."

            Logan nodded, and glanced out the large window.

            "How's Gumby been doin'?" he asked sarcastically and Rogue smirked, mocking annoyance.

            "It's _Gambit_," she pronounced slowly, "And, he's been doing better.  Storm hopes those metal disks'll be easier for him to aim."

            "Hope so," Logan said, "Nearly took blue boy's tail off last time..."

            "Nightcrawler," Rogue corrected him firmly, "They're in uniform, Logan."

            The broad man met her gaze and nodded, quietly accepting his error from Rogue, who in that moment looked as serious as a general.  The expression on her face had been so cool and militaristic; Logan caught himself wondering if she picked up that little piece of personality from when she touched him...or Magneto.

            The lights in the observation area grew dim then, and the machines in the Danger Room roared to life.

***

            "To your left!" Gambit heard Cyclops shout to Iceman as a large mechanical arm swung dangerously close to the younger man's head.  With quick skill, Bobby formed a defensive wall of ice to block the machine's progress.

            Gambit exhaled a breath he had not realized he had been holding, and looked over to the other side of the room.  He had to turn his head back and forth to watch the acrobatic Nightcrawler, disappear and reappear around the room, avoiding every attack the computer threw at him.  Storm was standing behind him, waiting readily for their window of opportunity to present itself.

            With a quick shift of attack, the mechanical attackers allowed a corner of the room unguarded, and Storm spoke quickly to Gambit.

            "Now!" she said, "Let's move!"

            Gambit took his place in front of her and ran towards the open corner swiftly.  He held onto several of the metal disks, but they felt heavy and awkward in his hands.  Their smooth surfaces slipped from his grasp, and he focused on reaching the far wall before the machines noticed them.

            Unfortunately, Gambit suddenly found himself barreling towards a reaching claw and forced himself to a halt.  The pinching arm snapped a few times as it approached and Storm spoke again to him.

            "Watch that attack!" she called, "Focus and use your power!"

            Gambit ground his teeth together angrily, and held one metal disk between his fingers.  It glowed to life, and his spun it towards the target.  With a small explosion, the disk impacted the wall beyond the clawed arm and Gambit cursed with frustration.

            Instead of reaching for another disk, he dodged the arm before it could grab him and he moved around the room towards the others.  He heard the howling of wind as Storm rose into the air over the machines and glided above his head.  

            "Try again, Gambit!" she called, "You won't learn by running!"

            Gambit glared up at her and reached in his pocket again.  The disk slipped against his gloved hand and he was able to retrieve one just as another machine swung toward him.  He concentrated and threw the charged disk toward the arm, but it had not absorbed enough energy to do any damage.

            _Merde_, he thought, _This is pointless...what the hell am I learning here?  How to toss mini disks at tinker toys?  I just wanted to be able to play a little poker or blackjack again without having to worry about the fucking cards blowing up..._

            The arm jerked to a stop as a stream of ice coated the base.  Iceman appeared by his side and urged him onward.

            "Come on!" he said to the aggravated Cajun, and Gambit followed him towards where Cyclops was standing off against four attackers.

            Before they could reach him, Iceman was hit by surprise by a blow from the left and fell to the floor hard.  Gambit jumped back, avoiding a second swing by a padded arm.

            "Bobby!" he said with concern when the boy did not move and ran toward him quickly.  He once again fumbled in his pockets for one of the silver disks and crouched next to his fallen teammate.

            Gambit heard the machine heading back toward them, and glanced up with an angry glare.  He had no idea how being bludgeoned by a human wrecking ball was supposed to be productive and decided he had had about enough of these training sessions.  

Gambit drew an object from his pocket and held it in front of his face.  His eyes flashed a deep red and he stared at the ace of spades for a brief moment before it began to glow with power.

_The fucking cards blow up..._ he thought again.

            With a quick, learned flick of his wrist, the playing card flew across the room.  It was an action he had done a thousand times, dealing hands for thousands of opponents in New Orleans.  The motion seemed completely natural, and the ace hit the machine dead on.

            A flash and explosion filled the room, and Gambit stood in gaping surprise as the arm crumbled to his feet.  Iceman was slowly sitting up, and coughed.

            "Another..." was all he managed, pointing past the other man with urgency.

            Gambit spun around, and pulled another card easily from his pocket.  He held it in front of his eyes and saw the queen of diamonds looking coyly at him.

            _What are you waiting for, you silly petit?_, her expression said to him, and Gambit tossed her away to explode noisily against another pinching claw.

            There was a soft _bampf_ from behind him, and saw Nightcrawler crouching by Iceman.  The blue mutant nodded to Gambit quickly before grabbing onto Iceman's shoulders, both then disappearing.

            "Yeah, don't worry about me!" Gambit announced with annoyed sarcasm, "I'll handle it from here!"

            He looked back and forth quickly, grasping his next card and glancing at it sadly.  He hated to keep destroying his deck but it was better than getting his Cajun butt kicked by Xavier's computer things.

            _Ah, well, LeBeau_, he thought and grinned, _They always said you were a few short of a full deck anyway..._

            Suddenly, Storm was beside him, looking at him with approval.  She motioned him on, and he followed her to the other side of the room.  After a few more minor attacks, the room fell silent and the lights brightened.  

            Cyclops stood at the front of the room and waited for them to fall into line.  Iceman was walking quickly again, now that he had caught his breath, and Nightcrawler appeared next to him in a cloud of blue smoke.  Storm and Gambit soon followed, and the Cajun was still grasping a card in his hand protectively.

            "Good session today," Cyclops commended them, "You've all shown improvement...same time tomorrow?"

            They all agreed and began to head out of the Danger Room.  Bobby ran up next to Remy and grinned.

            "Hey, that was great," he said, "Thanks for covering me back there..."

            "Not a problem, _mon ami_," Remy said smugly, but appreciatively, "I'm glad to know I can finally do more than duck."

            Bobby chuckled as they headed up the stairs towards the observation room.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Interlude X continued

Author's note:  Had to split this into two parts because my stupid MS word was being…well, stupid.  PS – Reviewer responses at the end.   :-)

Chapter 11:

Interlude X contintued:

            Xavier turned and greeted the training X-Men warmly as they entered the observation room.

            Rogue went quickly to Bobby, but paused by Remy first and smiled.

            "Good job today, Gambit," she said and then her eyes flashed with amusement, "Guess you finally found the right ammo, huh?"

            "I guess you could say that, _chére_," Remy agreed and thumbed through the remains of his cards sadly, "I only hope this school has the budget for another fifty-two."

            "I think…" Xavier began, smiling pleasantly as he approached, "…that can be arranged."

            Remy gave the Professor a meaningful, but tired salute with his first two fingers and nodded appreciatively.  

            Storm entered the room next, followed by Scott, and they both walked over to where Mary was standing.  Storm smiled and looked at the younger woman curiously.

            "So, what did you think?" she asked.

            "It was incredible," Mary said with quiet astonishment, "I know I say this a lot but…I really had no idea mutants could be that powerful.  Kinda makes my power seem a little under dramatic…"

            "No," Storm shook her head, "Don't think that…not at all."

            "Our powers may be externally oriented," Scott added, "But no more is happening inside of us than inside of you."

            Mary chuckled, "I believe that.  Watching you guys…that's actually what I feel like on the inside during a vision.  Attacked…out of control."

            Storm and Scott nodded in understanding, but not pity.  Never pity.  They were all mutants after all, different but the same.

            Xavier glanced at his watch and sighed.

            "Well," he said, addressing all of them, "It's about time for breakfast.  Why don't we all freshen up and head upstairs."

            Following his lead, they began to head out.  Rogue waited for Mary and grinned.

            "This should be fun for you," she said, "Pancake Saturday…"

            Bobby chuckled from behind them, "If you call that fun…"

            Rogue glanced back with mock astonishment, "You don't think making hundreds of pancakes and ending up covered in batter is fun?"

            "I think the _eating is fun," Bobby said to their right, "Now the _cleaning_, that's when the _real work_ begins…"_

            Rogue laughed again, as they walked on, but Mary had paused and trailed behind.  Her eyes suddenly widened, and she felt the room spinning around her.

            "Oh, no…" she said aloud, and Kurt looked back when she spoke.

            "Mary?" he asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

            Mary met his eyes and shook her head quickly, "_No…_"

            She collapsed forward and heard Kurt shouting for the Professor as he caught her.

_…_

_…_

_…_

_            …Time for our work to begin…_

_…They are already flying over the __Atlantic__…_

_                                                                                                who_

_…They have all come…he knows they will all be needed…_

_                                                                                                            who_

_…The man in the maroon cape…she can see him now…_

_…He is sitting behind the piloded......houting for the Professor as he caught her._

_ary was standing. t's seat…savoring the metallic taste on his tongue…_

_…They are moving west…_

_…There is fire in the west…_

_                                                            …There is fire in the north, more dangerous.._

_                                                                        …she drowned…_

_…They do not know what else is coming…_

_…They do not know the general lived…_

_…They do not know they are being _watched_…_

_                                                                        …eyes everywhere…_

_                                                                        …not all looking for the same reason… _

_                                                                        …but they will all see…_

_                                    …sentinels…_

***

            Mary gasped and sat up, her eyes filled with terror.  The last vision had passed and she suppressed a scream.  Dark, impossibly tall beings moving and searching, finding and taking…

            "Mary," the Professor said softly, and the voice drew her back.  She was still sitting on the floor of the observation room.  

            Mary met his gaze firmly, ignoring the other worried glances around her.  This one had been quick, she knew, or else she would have been in the infirmary again.

            "There's fire, Professor," she said, "He's looking for her…he's looking for them…"

            Xavier's face became grave, "Who is, Mary?"

            "There's a man, something like steel, in red…wearing a helmet…" she said, frowning to remember the details of the vision.  Around her, the X-Men exchanged quick, knowing glances.

            "He's heading west…and he's not alone," Mary finished and Xavier sighed.  He glanced up at Scott, Cyclops, and his face became like stone.

            "Ready the jet," he said to his X-Men, "I fear…we may be meeting Magneto again."

            Mary blinked and frowned in confusion at Xavier as Cyclops, with Storm and Wolverine headed towards the exit.  They had been expecting this, they had just been waiting for the Brotherhood's next action.

            "Who is that?" she asked and he looked at her with an odd sadness.

            "The man you saw…a very dangerous man…" Xavier replied.

            Mary frowned, "The man with the cape…the general?"

            Xavier nodded, missing Mary's last word in his current focus, "How many others were with him?"

            "I don't know…" she replied honestly, "More, but I couldn't give you a number."

            "Very well…" he said, and glanced quickly to the three X-Men, "Take Bobby with you.  We can't be sure how many of the Brotherhood returned to him."

            Remy stepped forward and frowned, "Would I be any help, Professor?  I know you're all going off to stop the bad guys or whatever you do, maybe I can just be like a back up or something.  The guy in the getaway car, you know?"

            Xavier seemed to weight this option heavily, and then inquired to his team, "Storm…Cyclops…?"

            "We could use the extra fire power," Cyclops said and Logan glared.

            "We're wasting time," he growled, "No offence, bub, but you're kind of a rookie."

            "He did back me up pretty good in the Room, though" Bobby replied, and Logan started to disagree again.

            "This will be dangerous, you do understand that, Mr. LeBeau," Xavier said evenly, "You have seen what we have been preparing for with our training…Magneto is more powerful than most mutants you have seen.  I leave the choice then, to yourself and the team."

            Remy frowned in thought for a moment and then shrugged.  He glanced at Rogue and Mary and grinned.

            "I guess I could always stay and look after the women…" he said musingly.

            Bobby and Logan wore identical expressions of exaggerated horror and spoke at the same time.

            "He's coming with us."

            Xavier nodded, "Very well.  I will lock onto the Brotherhood's coordinates with Cerebro and send them on to you in the jet.  Begin by heading west…toward Chicago."

            Logan leveled a long look at Xavier and nodded before heading out with the other X-Men.  

            "Kurt," Xavier said and the German mutant looked at him worriedly, "Let's get Mary to the medical bay.  Rogue, let's go to Cerebro."

***

            After about an hour in the medical bay, Mary headed upstairs with Rogue.  She felt confused and lost again.  They had seemed hesitant to give her many details about the vision, and Mary felt as if she was missing something.

            "So," she said, "This general…he's recruiting mutants, too?  But, why?"

            "We don't know if he is or isn't," Rogue said, "That helmet he wears makes it impossible for the Professor to read his mind so we don't know what he's planning until he acts."

            "Oh," Mary said, still frowning.  They had heard the noise of the X-Jet as it left the compound only a few minutes after the team had left the observation room, and the mansion felt eerily empty.

            "And this general is the same guy to attacked Liberty Island a few years ago?" Mary asked and Rogue paused a moment before she nodded.

            "And, after he escaped from prison…" Rogue explained in a strangely monotone voice, "He found us at Alkalai Lake…we were going there to find the Professor…"

            "Alkalai Lake?" Mary asked, the very words stirring a chill in her heart she could not explain.

            Rogue nodded, "It was a hidden base…run by General Stryker.  He did…terrible things to mutants there…"

            "General Stryker?" Mary asked, more confused than ever, "So Magneto and the general aren't the same person?"

            Rogue frowned and glanced at Mary, "No…why did you think that?"

            "Because," Mary explained, "If the man in the cape is this Magneto…then he _isn't the one who _is _the danger…"_

            "What?" Rogue said, her eyes widening, "What are you talking about?"

            "The _General is the danger," Mary said, "Magneto's looking for someone…but someone else is looking for him…"_

            For a moment, Rogue only stared at her.  The General?  Looking for Magneto?  How could it be _him…?_

            "It…it can't be Stryker…" Rogue stammered, "He's dead.  We _know_ he's _dead_."

            Mary shrugged and shook her head, "I don't know his name.  I thought he was the man the Professor was talking about…but there are two men…and the man in the helmet was not the most dangerous one…"

            Rogue felt frozen, sick, unable to move.  Magneto was flying west…and now so was her friends…her family…and the danger was not what _any _of them expected…

            "Professor…" she said softly and Mary frowned.  Rogue's eyes became wide and fearful.  There was a terror there which Mary did not recognize, but understood…the same terror she felt in the vision.

            "I have to tell the Professor!" Rogue shouted and ran towards Cerebro.

            "Wait!" Mary called after her, "Wait…there's more!  There's something else coming!"

***

Reviewer responses:

To amber eyed wolf:   Big serving of Remy for you there.  But no secrets of future romances given away!

To sych77:  Soon…very soon.  But it might not turn out exactly as planned!

To Celeste Moonstone:  Laziness accepted (sign in is a pain).  Feel free to lounge around.  :-)  Thanks for the comments!


	13. Chapter Twelve: Outside the Library

Chapter Twelve:

            The night was cold and raining outside the Metropolitan Library of Chicago.  The few patrons wandering in and out of the large double doors pulled coats and scarves tightly around themselves against the unusually bitter March winds.  Traffic was light as people made their way out of the library's main parking garage and onto the wet streets.  The library itself seemed to glisten in the rain, its black marble outer surface reflecting the many tiny lights that shone along the city block.

            Sitting patiently in an in descript van across the street, Mystique watched each pedestrian with her cold yellow eyes.  It was dark, and she made no effort to disguise herself.  Instead she focused on the people exiting the library.  She was searching for one particular patron, one whose face she had memorized from the many documents Erik had them study before they departed.

            Their jet was secure, hidden in a small airfield outside the city.  The van, with all of its amenities had been prepared before the women of the Brotherhood had returned from their first trip to the windy city.  Magneto and Deathstrike had taken a second car and remained in communication with Mystique's team by their network of small radios worn over their ears.

            Mystique glanced back at her companions briefly, and then returned her eyes to the street.  Pyro sat next to her in the passenger seat while Toad and Sabertooth, sat patiently in the back. They were ready to move on her command and they only now needed to wait for their target to appear.

The hour had passed slowly, as they waited for the large library to close, and they mostly sat in silence.  Mystique heard Pyro shifting uncomfortably in his seat, a mixture of anxiety and boredom.  He was inexperienced, and had not developed the brooding fortitude of the others.  

Toad was crouching behind the passenger seat, re-examining the Lady Deathstrike's documents through a small portable computer.  He had been watching the old video again and again as they sat waiting.  His interest was wavering on obsession.  The girl, the blonde woman and the fire…

Hitting pause, Toad clicked the video backward, one frame at a time.  The fireball enveloped in on itself in backward motion until the red-haired girl was visible again.  He stopped the film to a single frame and stared at the image intently.  He could not imprint the faces of others into his mind the way Mystique could, but he had studied every line of the girl's face for the past week.  The one feature that stayed clearly in his mind were her wide blue eyes, so filled with rage in the moment before the footage ends that he could almost feel the terror of their 'cameraman.'  

There was something more, however, that he could not explain as he studied her closely.  He was fascinated by her face and her presence, and he felt a thrill in his chest every time he watched the copy.  He supposed he should have felt some apprehension as they waited for the young woman who, according to the old footage, had evaded a barrage of bullets and then apparently destroyed her attackers in a blaze of fire.  

But, he had been thrown out of an exploding train station, been struck by lightning and lastly been knocked unconscious and nearly drowned by his enemies…and he had survived.  The risk of danger now did not bother him in the least.  Besides, they had a bit of a safety net with them.  Pyro may not have the ability to create fire, but his power over the element was improving.  Should they run into a problem, he could prove very useful.

"How many times are you going to play that fucking thing?" Sabertooth growled from behind the driver's seat.

Toad glanced up at him with a contemptible grin, "Sorry to bother your beauty rest, mate.  You may do better to pay attention to this fucking thing.  Bloody woman might be tougher to catch than you think...."

 Sabertooth growled again, wishing silently that he could crush Toad's sneering face in his hands, but feared Magneto's wrath at such violence among the Brothers.  There was only one man in the world Victor Creed held in any sort of esteem, and he would not go against that man's orders.

"Enough," Mystique said firmly, "Stay focused, she'll be out soon.  The library closes in five minutes."

Pyro listened to the exchange of the three older mutants vaguely.  His heart was pounding in his chest as his watched the thinning groups of people leave the library.  This was the first time away from the Island for him in months and he understood how much Magneto expected of him in this venture.  The idea of meeting another pyretic had made him a little anxious but the excitement of the hunt made him forget his worries.

Pyro glanced out the window toward the library and he thought of fire, snapping his lighter open and closed.  He spun the lighter's wheel and watched the flame climb slowly higher from his hand.  He stared into the yellow light, into it and through it, letting his mind close around its soothing heat.  It was ecstasy to be lost in that light and, as he watched and small window of fire opened in the heart of the light and he saw a figure outlined in flame.  Who was it, he wondered as the outline became a form, walking toward him through the fire.

He blinked in surprise and the vision faded as a large, clawed hand painfully gripped his arm.  Sabertooth was growling deeply again and held the boy firmly.

"Cut it out, kid," he said viciously, shaking Pyro once roughly.

Pyro tried to pull away, "But I was… I saw…"

"I don't give a shit what you saw, I said…" he roared, and then was interrupted.

"I said that's enough, Victor," Mystique shot from the driver's seat.  

Sabertooth glared at the boy and released Pyro's arm with a quiet snarl. 

Mystique turned towards the boy, "What did you see?"

Pyro glanced nervously at Sabertooth, and then back to Mystique.

"It was nothing…it was just…" he began, and then paused staring over Mystique's shoulder toward the library, and pointing, "It was _her_!"

They all turned in the direction of his outstretched hand, and Mystique grinned.  She touched the small send button on her ear piece and spoke quickly.

"Magneto…target sighted.  Beginning pursuit."

A muffled reply came over the communicator and Mystique looked over at Pyro with a pleased smile.

"Good work," she said, and the simple comment made any trace fear left from Sabertooth's ferocity melt away from Pyro's face, replaced by a smug pride.

Their target walked across the street towards a dark car, bidding farewell to other pedestrians.  She was carrying a small burden, and seemed rushed to get out of the rain.

Mystique started the van's engine, and waited until the woman had driven off before following.  Toad activated a tracking system outlining the grid of city streets and monitored their target's progress through the rainy night.


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Proceed

Chapter Thirteen:

Rebecca Malloy left the library in a rush, hoping to get the armload of books to her car before the sky began pouring again.  Her mind was racing with the information she had gathered today and was entirely preoccupied by her studies.  Her sense of any lingering presence in the shadows did not register any danger, so it was ignored.

She turned on the radio as she drove back to her home, on the northern outskirts of the city.  The music that suddenly blared from the speakers was a mix of loud drums and electronic cords.  Rebecca grimaced and changed the channel.  The second station was playing similar music and she clicked away again.  After the third station only offered more of the same, she gave up on top-forty music and found a talk station.

A pair of late night DJs were debating about the hot topic of the moment, which for every major news station for the past few months had been the 'mutant phenomenon.'  Rebecca sighed, bored with the constant rhetoric about 'dangerous mutants', but decided to listen anyway.

"I just don't see what the big deal is, man," the first jockey said loudly, "So what if mutants have to register with the government?  It's not like they're being completely segregated from society.  They just have to let them know what kind of crazy stuff they can do."

The second DJ shot back with the counterpoint, "Yeah, but the government shouldn't be allowed to force people to be on some list just because they're different or can do freaky things.  Hey, _everybody_ does freaky things, if you know what I mean…"

Both DJs laughed wickedly, "Not me, man.  Maybe you…  Ha, but the freaky things _we do_ don't risk anybody's life, man.  I mean, man, I heard there are some mutants that can like, blow shit up with their _eyes_, man."

"That don't mean there _is a bunch of people blowing stuff up with their eyes.  When's the last time you heard of somebody being wasted by eye beams."_

"Yeah, man, but wouldn't you want to know if somebody could do that?  What if you started something with some guy at a bar and he decides to vaporize you?  I mean, man, oh, man.  It's a totally different way to look at life."

"But, you're talking about _they're lives_, you know.  Everybody has a right to their own private life.  It's like seventy years ago when the Jews had to register who they were with the Nazis.  I mean, who really gives a crap what religion anyone is.  It's all love, baby.  Mutants are just like a different level of that."

"Yeah, but people who are in a religion are still, like, normal people.  They can't help which church their parents drag them to when their kids."

"And mutants can't help you they are either.  It's like being born without an arm or leg, you know.  They just have extra arms and legs…"

"And extra eye beams of death, man.  Ha, I need some of them in studio for pain in the asses like you…"

"Yeah, yeah, zap this, bitch."

Both DJs were rolling now and moved off the topic of mutants to something more lowbrow so their audience did not get bored.  For Rebecca, it was too late for their bullshit and she grabbed a disc and turned on some music more to her taste before the DJs began talking about actresses' breast sizes.

The mutant phenomenon…that was what they always called it.

_We're a phenomenon, huh?_ She thought, laughing to herself and wondering how the world would react to know about some of the other unnatural 'phenomena' running around this dear city.

***

            Pulling slowly into her driveway, Rebecca sighed audibly, happy to be home after such a long day.  She idled for a few minutes after parking, listening to the last few verses of the song playing in the radio and letting herself relax.  Finally she turned off the car and stepped out.

            Her car was the only one pulled up to the house, so she figured Sid and Sebastian were out having actual _lives_, while she slaved away at the library.  Rebecca had taken to helping the staff there clean up at night, and the routine had been just that until they offered to pay her for it.  So, what the hell?  She practically lived their anyway, now they paid her for putting books away for an hour or two.  A nice, normal, _safe job which her apprehensive uncle approved of._

            God, she needed to get out more often…

She stretched after exiting the car, and pulled her hood away from her face.  The rain seemed to have ended for the night and she breathed the night air deeply.        She gathered her bags and books and headed across the dark lawn toward her house.

As she walked, she did not notice the pair of watchful eyes peering from the rooftop above.  Toad sat as still as stone, regarding the woman with silent enthusiasm for the task at hand.  He almost did not believe his eyes when she first exited her vehicle.  

The first thing he noticed was that she was still looked very young.  The second thing he noticed was how completely contented she seemed.  Could this really be the same woman from Deathstrike's old video?  

A twinge of disappointment hit him.  The air of fury so evident on tape seemed absent in the person below.

Toad had planned to meet Sabertooth on the far end of the building before the woman reached the front door, but as he tried to move, he found he could not take his eyes off her.  She moved quickly, almost marching, and the braid of her hair bounced lightly against her back.  Toad felt his chest tighten in anticipation as she paused to unlock the door of the dark building, and for one moment her face was visible in the light shining from above the door.

He jumped quickly away, stopping finally at the edge of the roof.  He peered over at the small deck running along the side of the building.  Sabertooth was climbing the wall up to where he sat.  Toad listened to the noises from the building below and heard a door snick closed on the second floor.  He grinned and leaped down to the highest deck silently.

Sabertooth appeared next to him a moment later and Toad grinned wickedly at the large mutant.

"This is the one," Toad whispered to his compatriot.

Sabertooth sneered back, and Toad knew that expression was as close to a pleased grin as the beast of a man could get.

"Mystique is waiting below with the boy," Toad said, crouching low in the shadows.

"We won't need them," Sabertooth replied in a low growl.

"We'll see," Toad whispered back.

Through the balcony's large glass windows, both mutants saw a dim light appear in the dark room.  The young woman in the green hood appeared in the large second floor den and they watched as she deposited her burden on the sofa casually.  She did not turn on any other lights as she walked through each room toward the back hall.

_Excellent,_ Toad thought.  She seemed relaxed…not expecting anything out of the ordinary.  A prey surprised and off guard and easier to catch.  

The woman reappeared in the den after a few moments.  She was no longer wearing the long coat, and seemed to now be wearing her nightclothes, which were a simple pair of long cotton pants and an oversized button down shirt. 

            Toad touched his ear piece, "Target is in place."

            "Very well."

            It was Magneto's voice which replied over the communicator and Toad grinned as their leader spoke again.

            "Proceed…"


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Maybe Friends

Chapter Fourteen:

            _BEEEEEEEEP..._

            The harsh tone of the microwave cut through the house and the light inside the small oven went dark.  The remaining kernels still hot enough to burst popped noisily from within.

            Rebecca padded her way across the kitchen in her bare feet, humming quietly to herself and yawning.  She pushed the small black button on the microwave and the door clicked open.  She deposited the steaming popcorn into a large bowl and shut off the kitchen lights before she headed upstairs.  

            Walking through a door at the top of the steps, she reentered the den, a fairly large room, which took up nearly half of the second floor.  An 'L'-shaped hallway lead from the stairs and an adjoining hall to the left headed towards the bedrooms.  The den had two sofas, facing a modest television, and two large computer consoles on an immense cherry desk.  

There was a variety of electronic equipment scattered neatly around the room, evidence of Jeremy "Sid" Malloy's neurotic fascination with computers.  He had never officially been a student at any legitimate collegiate place of learning, however, his own virtuosity made him quite well known by others in fields of technological study.  A point which Sid was quick to remind people of, especially if he happened to be trying to impress an individual of the feminine persuasion.

Rebecca tried at all costs to avoid any social situation involving her brother's pursuit of females, and his typical stalking places were usually not where she was comfortable hanging out anyway.

As Rebecca looked younger than her age, her brother had always looked older.  It had been an advantage when they were under twenty-one, for the regular procurement of beer, but now that they were older, it was just annoying.  Rebecca still got carded for movies sometimes and she had been over seventeen for almost eight years, another point her brother was quick to remind people of.

They were so alike, they were complete opposites, they had decided along time ago that they were a complete paradox to every law physics or genetics or psychology could come up with.

Their family history was long and bizarre, but in the end they were still sane, and living fairly well with their very eccentric, very dedicated uncle.  He had been made a vampire years before and looked no older then the twins...which again made the family movie going experience entirely too confusing.

She knew they shared mannerisms, but in personality, Rebecca saw far more of her mother in Sid than in herself.  Aside from all of his flirting and good humor, he was very reserved and had a cool temperament.  Rebecca, on the other hand, was more forward, saying only what she thought (even if no one else wanted to hear it), and had a slow burning but explosive temper.  For obvious pyro-kinetic reasons, it was a temper she kept in check.

            Rebecca walked through the den and plopped down in the large leather chair in front of the smaller computer.  Music was playing from the speakers, the same song she had been humming when she went to retrieve her snack.  She accessed a database of information she had been preparing for a theory essay, and typed quickly on the keys.

            She did not hear the glass door of the balcony slide open, or her uninvited guests enter the dimly lit room.

            Toad crouched in one dark corner, watching the oblivious red head with his strangely colored eyes.  Sabertooth had moved with the grace of a feline to the other side of the room towards the halls.  He was securing the premises to be sure the girl was definitely alone, as their companions searched the floor below.

            After a few minutes of typing, the girl leaned back and sighed.  He could not see her face, but heard the agitation in her voice.  The desk was stacked with books, but the electronic equipment around her interested Toad more.  He had always had a knack for repairing the Island's machines, and in different circumstances, the devices here would have been quite fascinating for the brooding Brit. 

            However, he was now entirely focused on their mission...and their target.

            As the girl reclined, she pulled the bowl of popcorn to her lap and began to eat, tossing the kernels, one at a time, into the air before catching them and chewing.  She repeated this action a few more times and Toad grinned.

He suddenly had a great idea.

            Rebecca ate slowly, her eyes scanning the text of her paper for any flaws.  Almost thoughtfully, she threw a piece of popcorn in the air and then caught it in her mouth with hardly an upward glance.  

            She was studying chemicals related to neurotransmitter activity, not the most engrossing topic in the world, but difficult enough to hold her in deep concentration.  She wished Sid would get home...he was better at these stupid math formulas than she was and when she needed Mr. Human Computer he was never around.

            _Oh, well_, she thought and scrolled downward with her mouse before leaning back again.  She threw another kernel into the air and caught it, the repetitious action helping her focus.

            After an extended typing spree, Rebecca leaned back and threw a piece of popcorn above her head.  She vaguely heard a snapping sound...and it took a moment for her to register that the popcorn had not fallen towards her head.

            She glanced around the floor, thinking it may have gone astray, but did not see the piece anywhere.  She sighed and picked up another kernel.  She threw it in the air...and once again it failed to return to the earth.

            Rebecca frowned again.  She searched the desk and her clothing, but did not see the second piece anywhere.  Finally, just out of curiosity, she picked up another, and this time looked upward when she tossed it into the air.

            Above her head, she saw something snap quickly and grab the popcorn deftly.

            _What the hell?_ She thought, and repeated the action one more time with the same results.  Whatever it was looked like a long, prehensile...rope?

            She sighed again.  In a world of laser eye beams and cheerleading vampires, she really had no idea what could possibly be stealing her popcorn, a rude and reprehensible action in any culture.

            Rebecca swiveled her chair around slowly and saw her guest crouching in the corner.  She squinted, trying to see his features in the dim light, but could only clearly make out the gold wicked gleam in his eyes.

            "Um..." she began, "...Hi."

            The figure smirked, but did not reply.  She regarded him for a moment, allowing her instincts to report their first impression of him.  He was definitely not a demon, given the lack of chill in the room, but still looked rather odd.  Maybe he was a mutant...but why was he sitting in her house?

            Rebecca stood and took a few steps toward him.  She folded her arms across her chest with amusement, but without fear.     

"Who are you?" she asked openly and waited patiently for an expected reply.  The figure tiled his head thoughtfully before speaking.

            "Maybe a friend," he said with a thick English accent, "Maybe an enemy."

            Rebecca gave him a cynical grin, "Maybe a friend?"

            "Maybe," he replied.

            "Maybe an enemy?" she asked.

            "Maybe," he agreed again.

            Rebecca shook her head and chuckled.  This seemed to startle the crouching figure and he blinked a few times as she laughed

            "That's way too many 'maybes,' buddy," she said with grin, "I have a feeling we're gonna need to be a little more decisive in this matter."

            The mutant frowned for a moment, and then gave a brief, surprised laugh.  This was not going at all as he expected.

            Rebecca returned his grin and took another step forward.  She was about to speak again, when a large, clawed hand grabbed her by the back of the neck.

            Her yelp of alarm was cut off as the unseen attackers fingers closed around her throat.  She felt herself lifted into the air, and gasped quickly as the hand shook her roughly.  Her breath was forced and not enough to be able to shout for help.

            "_What the hell are you doing?_" the accented mutant said from below her, "_Magneto said not to hurt her!_"

            The second mutant growled deeply and turned his arm so that she could see him.  He was almost snarling as he spoke and all Rebecca saw was his rows of sharp teeth.

            "I won't hurt her," he said, and then sneered, "Just making sure she doesn't run off before the boss man comes."

            Rebecca looked down desperately to the first mutant, who stood in fury but did not challenge the larger beast holding her.  He was touching his earpiece, talking quickly, and spared her an apologetic glance.  She could see now why he had hidden so easily behind her, his skin and hair (as well as his clothes) were varying shades of green, like natural camouflage.  How the huge mutant holding her had escaped her immediate attention she would never know.

            _Oh, no,_ she thought, her wide eyes having nothing to do with the dangerous mutant, _Oh, shit!  Oh, shit!_

            She mouthed words to her attacker, warning words, but they were ignored.

            _Let me go!_ she thought since she could not say it, _You don't understand what will happen...let me go!_

            But, in her heart she knew it was too late.  The power was building around her, and the air was growing warmer.

            From the direction of the hallway, another mutant came into view.  It was a woman (who for some reason looked complete nude) and she was blue from head to toe.  When she saw the girl dangling from the large mutant's fist, she began shouting angry orders at him.

_            Tell him to put me down..._ Rebecca thought wildly, _He's hurting me...I won't be able to stop it._

            The green mutant was still looking at her coolly, but intently, concern not obvious but understood.  The blue mutant was still shouting but Rebecca could no longer hear the words.  The power was too close now, an anger, a fury, ready to rise up and defend her against her attackers.  But, in her struggles to breathe, it was moving out of her control.

            _Too late!  Too late!_ She thought and closed her eyes.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Maybe Enemies

Author's note:  Hey, a mid-day update instead of a 12 AM update!  

Ah, there's nothing like being heckled by the family.  A big hand for my sis Sarah and her humor.  Shouldn't you be in class or something, Ms. Future-Brain-Surgeon-of-America?   :-P  

Chapter Fifteen:

            "_I said PUT HER DOWN, VICTOR!_" Mystique's voice rang through the house commandingly.  Sabertooth sneered at her, and gave the girl another shake.

            "When Magneto arrives," he said.  He would take orders from no one else.

            "_Magneto_," Mystique said icily, "...would not approve if this child was injured."

            Sabertooth growled again, "He wouldn't _approve_…if she went running off for help either."

            Toad glared at the pair as they debated, the girl hanging limply from Sabertooth's grip.  Wisps of hair had pulled free from her braid and hung around her face.  Her eyes were closed, but her body had become very tense.  He frowned and was the first to notice that the air in the room was becoming very heavy…very hot.

            "_Damn you, __Victor," Mystique hissed, and Sabertooth laughed wickedly and spat another vulgar insult at the enraged woman._

            However, his laughter faded quickly as he felt his hand began to burn.  Not as muscles will when fatigued, but a scorching sensation on his palm.  The long hair on his arm began to bristle and burn.

            The girl's eyes opened then, wide and shining, and she grabbed his clutching hand with her own.  Sabertooth roared in pain and released the girl from his grasp.  His long coat caught fire quickly and he swung his arm around in vain to put it out.  

            Rebecca gasped as she hit the floor and her hands supported her from collapsing, fiery circles forming around them on the carpet.  The other two mutants had jumped away from her, momentarily distracted by Sabertooth's attempts to put out his burning hand.

            She used the moment to her advantage and charged across the room and down the "L"-shaped hall towards the door.  She grasped at it, managed to pull the metal knob toward her a few inches before it was ripped out of her grasp.  There was no one on the other side, but the metal plated knob would not allow her to open the door.

            Rebecca pounded the wall in frustration and then shuttered and slid to the floor.  Her power had been harnessed but still raged inside of her.  It had not been too bad.  It had not gotten away from her too much.  Just enough so that mutant would let her go, could have been worse…

            "Shit," she said aloud, and then remembered her cell phone was in her coat pocket on one of the sofas.  She heard the large mutant roar down the bedroom halls towards the bathroom and debated on another jaunt through the den.

            Sabertooth ran off to the bathroom, the nearest water source, roaring obscenities no normal human voice could have mustered.  Mystique began to follow him, but turned to Toad first, her fury at the situation burning in her yellow eyes.

            "Watch her!" she said, pointing in the direction of the stairs, "Don't let her get out!"

            Toad nodded, feeling bitter glee as he listened to Sabertooth's angry shouting, and headed toward the "L"-shaped hall.  He heard her try to open the door, but he knew someone else would keep the metallic components firmly in place.

            She mumbled something, and Toad waited.

            Rebecca used the wall as a support as she stood up and inhaled deeply.  She would have to try to reach her phone if she expected any kind of outside help.  Her panic may have sparked some inner warning in Sid, but she could not be sure.

            Taking one more moment to gather herself, Rebecca stepped around one corner.  The green mutant was standing at the far side of the hall waiting for her.  He opened his mouth, and she dove back the other way just as something shot past her head and smacked loudly on the far wall.  She turned back and saw something like a long, damp rope hanging in the air.  It snapped back quickly, and was followed by the green mutant's voice.

            "Sorry, little sister," he called darkly, "Can't get out that way."

            Rebecca crept closer to the edge of the corner and listened, thinking quickly of what to do next.  She could hear the man approaching in slow, determined steps.

            "You don't need to run," he continued, "We're all mutants here.  We just want to talk to you."

            He was closer now, and Rebecca put her hand over the hall light switch.  A few more steps and he would be under the ceiling lamp.  If she could overload it, the blast might buy her a few seconds.  She took a chance and glanced around the corner.

            Toad stepped down the hall slowly, waiting for a response.  He could hear her breathing, and he continued to call her out.

            "There's nowhere else to go," he said softly, closing in on the end of the hall, "I won't let him hurt you.  Although, he bloody pissed at the mess you made of his coat…"

            Toad stopped then, and noticed that she was peering carefully at him.  He grinned, and took one more step forward.  The girl glanced up then quickly, and Toad followed her gaze.

            In the next moment, the ceiling seemed to ripple, the light above his head blazed to life, and he ducked an instant before it exploded.

            Rebecca leaped out from the corner as the light burst into flame and shattered.  The green mutant ducked and yelped in surprise.  She used the moment to dart out of the corner and run past him into the den.

            She broke into an open dash towards where her jacket was laying and the open balcony doors.  Suddenly, something wrapped tightly around her ankle and she tumbled forward onto her stomach.  She gasped for breath and rolled on her back, struggling against the force pulling on her leg.

            From the front hall, the English mutant crouched low on the floor and Rebecca gaped at him.  The long 'rope' that was holding her was extending from his mouth.

            _That's his tongue!_ She thought wildly and began to kick at the abnormal appendage with her free foot.  The first man whipped his head back and forth, attempting to drag her back.  

            "Let me go!" she yelled angrily, feeling the power rising again as the attack continued.  The carpet under her hands began to singe, a defense response yearning to confront her assailant.  

            He took a step toward her and grinned around his open mouth.  Rebecca clawed away and began to smell smoke.  As she struggled, she saw movement in the corner of her eye and looked around.  From the back hall came the blue woman and the large, hairy mutant, who did indeed look inconceivably pissed.

            The new danger from behind her caused the power to pound in her head.  Her hands and arms were tingling as the warmth spread down her body.

            She looked back at the first mutant desperately, using all her will to fight against the fire.

            "_I don't want to hurt you!_" Rebecca cried to him urgently.  The power was like a wild animal in her head and she felt her eyes burning in their sockets.  The man must have begun to feel the heat as he approached and his eyes widened as they met her own.  She felt his tongue loosen from her ankle and it was draw back into his mouth.

            Rebecca got to her knees and inhaled sharply in rapid breaths, focusing on drawing back the power.  It was so strong now, it was stronger all the time, and she knew it was too late to keep back all of it.

            _No! _she screamed in her mind, _Back off!  Back off!  No, no, no, no…_

            Toad stared at the girl and stepped backward.  Her body seemed to be glowing and the dark room was filling with a terrible orange light.  She arched backward and put her hands to her head, as if she was battling with herself.  He glanced over to Sabertooth and Mystique, who were watching her with the same fascination.

            Mystique smiled broadly as she looked on.  This is what Erik was waiting for.  Evidence of who this child was…of who her mother was…

            Toad stepped away again until his back ran into the wall.  The girl was shaking her head violently and her body was trembling.  Her eyes were tightly closed, but Toad knew what he would see when they opened, what rage would be there.

            The windows of the house began to shake angrily as the girl shrieked.  The temperature in the room was becoming nearly unbearable, but Toad could not stop staring at her.  Even as the walls began to shudder, he did not make any motion to leave.

            "_NO!_" the girl screamed finally, and waves of heat poured from her.  

            Mystique's smile melted quickly from her face.  This was more than she had expected.  The girl looked as if she herself were on fire and ready to explode.  She grabbed Sabertooth and ran with him across the room.  Toad was staring fixedly on the girl and Mystique pulled him roughly with them into the front hall.  

            A moment later, the windows of the house shattered outward as flames blasted from the Rebecca Malloy's body.  

            Standing outside on the back lawn, Erik Lensherr smiled as he watched the wave of fire dissipate into the night sky.  Deathstrike stood to his left and Pyro at his right.  The youngest member of the Brotherhood could only watch in stunned awe.  

            "Come, Pyro," Magneto said to the young man amicably, "Let us go meet our new friend."

            The residents in neighboring buildings began to stir at the commotion and within the next fifteen minutes sirens could be heard.


	17. Chapter Sixteen: The Guests will be Arr...

Author's note:  May need to read X-Book Prologue in order to understand the second part of this chapter since it is slightly different from the end of X2.  I know I've thrown a lot out there (a lot of details which won't be addressed right away) and I hope it doesn't become too confusing.  PS – reviewer responses at the end!  :-)

Chapter Sixteen:

            "What the hell was that?" Cyclops said as a bright fiery light shone at the edge of the dark city.

            Cyclops was seated in the co-pilot's chair of the X-Jet, Storm to his right, while Wolverine, Gambit and Iceman sat behind them.  They had just been approaching the Chicago city limits, flying silent and low to avoid local radar.

            Storm frowned and looked out towards the horizon.  From behind her, Wolverine stood and leaned forward to peer out the large front window himself.

            "Looked like a small explosion," she replied, "There must be a building fire somewhere."

            The orange glow faded and the skyline once again shone only with the twinkling lights of the metropolitan area.  Wolverine narrowed his eyes, and glanced at Storm.

            "The Professor send us any coordinates yet?" he asked, and she nodded.

            "We're heading for a northern residential area," she said.

            "The same direction as that blast," Cyclops replied.

            Wolverine gave him a dark look, "I have a feeling we're a little late to the party."

***

***

            "Sir?" the soldier said quietly to the man behind the desk and waited at attention for a reply.

            Below several hundred feet of solid rock, General William Stryker sat in a small dark room, lined with glass windows overlooking a vast hanger filled with waiting machines.  

The General did not seem to notice the young Major, he was reading a document in his hand intently, a small crease of concentration on his brow.  On his face, several round scars marred his skin.  They had been caused by frostbite, given to him by an icy chain that had once been tightly drawn around his body in the cold wastes of Alkalai Lake.

            By all rights (and by all measures of justice), he should have been dead, his body left to eternally rot below the torrent from the demolished dam.  However, someone had been watching over him that day, someone had protected him from the flood, so that he could continue his work.  For the stranger, the dark man in the wilderness, had seen the purpose of Stryker's work, the importance of annihilating mutants from the face of the earth.

            And, that dark man had given Stryker all he needed to accomplish his goals, for a price that had not yet been presented.

            Whatever the stranger wanted, Stryker intended to pay the debt, no matter the cost.

            "Sir?" the soldier said again, more as a question, unsure if the General had heard him.

            Stryker held up a waiting hand, and finished reading the last paragraph before looking up at the Major and smiling.  It was not a pleasant expression, and the soldier suppressed the urge to wince under the other man's gaze.

            "How can I help you, Major?" he asked, his voice oddly friendly.  After all, this was one of his own, one of his soldiers, a good, wholesome, _normal_ American citizen, serving his country...serving Stryker.

            "I just wanted to inform you that recon has identified possible aberrant mutant activity in Chicago," the Major reported, and Stryker quickly interrupted him.

            "All mutant activity is aberrant, Major," he said, placing the document on his desk and slamming his palm down on it, "That what they are...aberrant, abnormal...wrong.  You understand that, don't you?"

            The Major looked straight-ahead and nodded, "Of course, sir.  Sorry, sir."

            "So, tell me," Stryker said, "What activity has recon detected that they found _unusually abnormal?"_

            "There has been the report of a small explosion in the northern part of the city," the Major explained, "Residents of the area described it was a wave of flame, brief and controlled.  Your orders stated that any unusual fires in that area were to be reported immediately..."

            "_I know _what my orders were, Major," he snapped.  His expression had faded from the mock friendly smile to a dark purposeful frown.  

            "Contact recon," Stryker said, "I want to know exactly why they think this fire was caused by a mutant..."

            "That's why they reported in so quickly, Sir," the soldier interrupted, and Stryker shot him a vicious glare, "They also have positively identified the mutant Magneto in the vicinity."

            Stryker stood quickly and leaned against his desk on his fists, "They're...sure?"

            "Yes, sir," the Major said, "The plastic tracking implant from his prior incarceration is still functional, apparently he has not discovered it in the time since his escap..."

            "That would be the obvious conclusion, Major," Stryker said.  A dangerous anticipation filled his eyes and the soldier took a step back at his vicious tone.

            Stryker marched quickly around his desk and out the door.  The Major took a surprised step out of the General's way and then followed him down the hall.

            "Have our people in that area contact the local authorities and intercept any approaching police or fire crews," Stryker barked, " Then, have them take positions around the location of the fire and Magneto.  It's time to test out our new toys..."

            He said the last sentence with a fierce glee, and the Major paused and looked startled.  The General could not be talking about the Sentinel prototype.

            "But, sir," he said, "That's a highly populated area.  You aren't thinking of sending those machines right into someone's backyard."

            Stryker did not hesitate in pace or response.

            "_Mutants_," he spat, "are in our backyards, soldier!  They're in our towns, our schools...even in some cases, our own homes.  And, it's time someone took action against those creatures, or else it could be _your _house burning next time!  Why do you think I've been developing these machines, Major?  To contain any mutant threat to our way of life!  I think a mutant trying to burn down a residential neighborhood is a threat, don't you?"

            "Yes, sir," the Major agreed, but his face was lined with doubt.

            "Good," Stryker said, "Have them prepare the prototype for departure.  Remember, I want them alive, especially Lensherr.  But, if they show any threat to our men or any one else, kill them on site."

            "Yes, sir," the Major repeated again.  He wondered to himself, a question he would never dare ask the fervent General, why a man who hated mutants so much want them taken alive.  The Major decided, he would rather not know.

***

To Grey Goalie:  Thanks!  I like the idea of episodes more than complete movies just because there's so much depth to each character, and I want to explore that.  I hope to have books for each character eventually.  :-)

To The Fire Dancer:  Thanks again!  More action coming I promise.  Dialogue is fun but every now and then you need some laser eye beams blowing things up.  :-)

To amber eyed wolf:  Much more of the Cajun to come!  :-)

To Arain Rowen:  Sorry for all the distractions!  If all your references in your essay have to do with Marvel characters you can blame me.  :-)

To Anee:  ALWAYS a cliffhanger!  :-)  But I promise to update as quickly as I can!

To Sarah:  Are frames on sale this week?  Oh, well.  BTW, Mom says dinner on Thanksgiving is at 2 p.m.   Don't be late.  :-P   Oh, yeah and *singing badly*  You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant…  *done singing badly*

To sych77:  Yeah, Sebastian is a vampire (non-feeding for reasons explained later, sort of like Angel but not as annoying).  I'm gonna make their family history as weird as I can (a contrast to Mary's simple upbringing).  As for the 'phenomena,' well…if you're a fan of Buffy TVS you know what strangeness they run into.  Now throw some mutants in and stir.  Oh, the fun times!  :-)


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Trapped

Chapter Seventeen:

            Rebecca sat in the back hall with her head in her hands.  She had moved quickly, before the smoke from the charred carpet had cleared.  She hoped none of the intruders had seen where she went, though most people (or mutants or demons) ran _away _from her after seeing her powers get out of hand.

            It's ok, she thought, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, It's ok, it was just the windows.  They're only windows.  It could have been worse…I controlled it.  I stopped it.  Thank God they ran before it…

            Rebecca raised her head and squeezed her eyes tightly closed.  She felt herself calming, finding her center again.  The bedrooms were a mess (Sebastian was going to kill her), but it did not look as if the flames had been strong enough to puncture the walls.  Hopefully, her neighbors did not have too much damage either...

            She curled into one corner and listened for the intruders, taking stock of their numbers at the same time.  There was the huge cat guy, physical advancements but not much going on psychically it seemed.  There was the first man, agile and quick with an elongated and powerful 'tongue.'  And there was the blue woman, and God knows what she could do.  Rebecca doubted any of them were 'pushers,' or they would have most likely tried mental domination on her first and saved themselves this trouble.  But what the hell did they want?

            Suddenly, she heard heavy footsteps treading around the den, and a low growling voice.

            "_Where is she?_" the big mutant said, and Rebecca instinctively tucked herself further in the shadows.

            "Don't worry," a female voice replied, "She's still here."

            Rebecca figured that must have been the blue woman.  Why the hell the chick was nude, she had not a friggin' clue.  She heard the woman speak again, though the words were muffled.

            Rebecca crept carefully towards the end of the hall.  She could see the blue woman speaking quietly into the small ear communicator she wore.  The big mutant was glaring at her and looked ready to explode in fury.  The green mutant was examining the shattered remains of the deck windows with wide eyes.  Finally, the blue woman turned to the other two and pointed in Rebecca's direction.

            "You two...search the back rooms," she said commandingly, "She's either hiding back there or made it downstairs...either way, she's trapped..."

            _Oh, crap_, Rebecca thought and crawled back down the hall towards her bedroom.  She drew herself into the first bedroom, and hid next to the open door.  From the end of the hall, she could hear the big mutant's heavy tread.

            Rebecca breathed deeply once, a deep, angry frown forming on her face.  What the hell was she doing?  This was her home, damn it, and she was just sitting here while those intruders attacked her and forced her into hiding.  Like hell, she would.

            The fire inside of her leaped again at the thought of battle and her eyes tingled.

            _No,_ she thought resolutely, _Not__ now…_

            She did not need her powers to get away from them...and she was not sure if she could pull back another big blast.  Neither Sebastian nor the Council had encouraged her to continue practicing control of her gifts after her mother had disappeared.  Little fires had never been a problem, but when she was threatened, when she was angry...that was when her focus slipped.

            So, Rebecca stood, leaning close to the open doorway and listened.  She could hear their movements drawing nearer to the place where she stood.  The voice of the first man came from her right, but heavy steps were approaching from the left.  They had split up, converging on the back bedrooms to corner her.

            Silently, she waited for them to get closer.  The big mutant was growling softly, and was very close.  She could not hear movement from the first, but expected he was not too far behind.

            So the question was…right or left?

            _Maybe right…_she thought, remembering her earlier conversation.  The first mutant had leapt the distance across the living room with quick skill.  He would be very hard to evade in a run plus there would really be no place to go except the bathroom, and Big Mr. Fuzzy had busted down the door when he was putting his arm out.

            _Maybe left…_ she thought.  The second was larger and looked stronger, but did not seem as fast or agile.  If she surprised him, she might have a chance to get around him and into the den towards the staircase.  She would blast the fucking door down this time if she had to.

            She waited, only a moment more, and shot out of the shadows, to the left.

            Sabertooth roared in surprise as the girl ran towards him out of the dark room.  He swung one heavy arm and his fist missed her by inches, slamming a large hole into the wall.  He spun to follow her, and roared again as Toad crawled along the ceiling above his head, laughing.

            Toad scaled the walls after the girl.  She was quick, and he jumped into the den just in time to watch her disappear down the front hall towards the main staircase.  There was a small blast and then he heard her running down the steps.  

            Toad jumped down the 'L'-shaped hall, ricocheted off the far wall and launched himself down the stairs.   

            Sabertooth stomped angrily after Toad into the den.  He would break the girl's legs when he caught her.  That would keep her from running from him again.

            He started down the hall to the stairs, when a strong, thin hand grabbed his shoulder from behind.  He growled and spun around, expecting to see the girl's fiery eyes.  Instead he faced Mystique, her yellow glare standing out in fury against her blue skin in the dark.  

            "That's enough, Victor," she said sharply.  She had expected this would be too difficult for either of her Brothers, but she would not let Sabertooth's wounded pride cloud his judgment.

            "She's mine…" he growled darkly and Mystique cut him off viciously.

            "_She is not yours!_" she hissed, "Don't forget why we are here…Magneto needs her alive, and would not be pleased if she came to some _harm…"_

            Mystique left the statement die away, but the meaning was clear.  Sabertooth nodded and grumbled.

            "Let Toad play with her for a few more minutes," she continued with a wicked grin, "Erik will end this soon."

            As she reached the first floor, Rebecca yelped in surprise as a loud thud sounded behind her.  She spun as she ran, seeing the green mutant crouching at the bottom of the stairs.  He had an odd grin on his face.  This was the most fun he had had in a long time.

            She dodged to the right as his tongue shot past her again.  It clung to the wall for a moment before it snapped back into his mouth.

            "You know..." Rebecca said, angrily, "That's really annoying."

            The green mutant chuckled; the sound was more vicious than amused.  He took a few steps toward her and she raised one hand.  The heat tingled on her fingertips, as she let the power rise, just a little...

            "Please don't make me do anything," she said, a dark warning in her voice.  This caused the green mutant to pause.  He looked uncertain and then he crouched again, glaring at her in the dark.

            Rebecca took a step back, towards the kitchen door.  The green mutant did not follow her, and she moved into the next room quickly.

            Toad waited until he heard her gasp, then grinned and walked toward the kitchen.

            Standing in dumb shock, Rebecca gaped at what she was now seeing.

            Inside the kitchen, every appliance seemed to be hovering in the air.  The kitchen phone had been rudely torn from the wall and now floated at her eye level, turning lazily among the other electronics.

            She moved slowly towards the other side of the room.  A second door led to the dining room and she inched her away around her gravity defying toaster and blender.  

            _Now I know why astronauts carry that ready to eat stuff, she thought with a touch of panic.  The refrigerator was floating near the second door, banging lightly against the ceiling.  _

            Rebecca stared at it warily, and took another step forward, pressing her back against the wall leading to the door.  The immense machine loomed above her, and she paused.  Her heart was racing and the power was biting in her palms.  She felt the wall under her hands getting hot and she struggled between her fear and fighting down her own inborn defenses.

            Suddenly as she approached the exit, the giant appliance swung towards her and she tumbled into the dining room.  From behind the ruined refrigerator, she heard the other machines fall to the floor.

            Rebecca barely had a moment to get to her feet when the green mutant crawled out of the kitchen across the ceiling.  She made a final effort to sprint across the room.

            The front door was right around the next corner.  All she had to do was get out and she would be home fr…

            Rebecca cried out in surprise as something hit her in the stomach and pulled her across the room.  Her back slammed against a hard surface and she struggled against the round metal bar that now had her pinned by the waist, embedded into the wall.  She kicked her bare feet against the carpet in vain and noticed several of the intruders walking toward her.  The green mutant to her right, a tall dark-haired woman to her left and a boy standing further back staring at Rebecca with wide, wondering eyes.

            Rebecca stopped struggling and raised her left hand.  The green mutant stopped immediately and she shot him a cold look.

            "So, I guess you're an enemy, huh?" she spat bitterly.  

            He blinked in surprise and looked as if he were going to speak but then simply braced himself for her attack.  The dark-haired woman raised a cool, curious eyebrow, never looking away from the bound young woman.  A dangerous warmth filled the room and Rebecca knew the power was now her only chance to get away from these strangers.

            "_Please," Rebecca said, pleading but angry, "__I don't want to hurt…ahh! Shit!"_

            A second metal bar slammed into Rebecca's wrist and secured her left arm to the wall.  The power, so ready to destroy her attackers, faded and she yanked at the new makeshift shackle in alarm.  Why would it back off now, when she was trapped?

            "Let me out of this fucking thing!" she screamed and then raised her right hand just as a new voice rang through the room.

            "Now, now, Miss Malloy," someone said in a commanding tone, "There's no need for profanity."

            The other mutants turned and glanced toward the other side of the room.  Rebecca followed their gazes until another man wearing a long crimson colored cape and helmet strolled, almost casually, through the door.

***

Author's note:  Yeah, cliffhanger.  Go ahead, shoot me.  Don't ask me why they happen…oh, yeah cause I'm not sure yet what's going to happen next either.  :-)  This is really only half a chapter but gotta split it up.  Unfortunately, I do work two jobs and one is retail…and this Friday is the most dreaded Friday of all retail workers.  Haven't had a whole lot of down time to write.

However, I will have the next two days off so will have time to write while eating with the family.  (With pumpkin pie comes inspiration.)  My sis sent me a text message today that said "NO UPDATE?!?!?" so she'll be there to instigate me!  :-)  She's good at that.  

BTW, sych77, you noticed my slight focus on Toad in the past few chapters.  Gotta warn you all, I am a Toad fan.  His personality is going to be very interesting to write about.  Like Nightcrawler, he may get his own little fic.  (BTW, part of Nightcrawler's fic is already written…I blame it on excess sugar and caffeine  :-) 


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Order into Chaos

Chapter Eighteen:

            Magento smiled amicably to the young woman and walked toward her.

            She was still yanking at the metal around her wrist, trying to look dangerous, but her fear betrayed her.  

            "Let me out of this now," Rebecca said darkly, but unconvincingly.

            "In a moment," Magneto assured her and continued to pace around the room.  

            The other mutants stepped back, respectfully as he passed.  From the doorway, Mystique and Sabertooth entered the room and stood in waiting.  Rebecca spotted them and began to struggle again.  Magneto glanced back at them and then back to the girl.

            "Don't be afraid, my dear," he said, "We mean you…no harm…"

            Rebecca looked at him cynically, "Could have fooled me…"

            Magneto smiled sympathetically and regarded her with curiosity.  He could sense the metal heating under her hands, but the danger had passed.  She looked a bit like her mother, he decided, but had not inherited her temperament.  Charlene McGee had been so level, so controlled, quite different from this explosive, frightful child.

            Rebecca glanced around at the group and shook her head, "Who are you people?"

            "We are your Brothers, Miss Malloy," Magneto said proudly, "The Brotherhood of Mutants, and we're been looking for you for a long time."

            Toad stood straighter with his shoulders back as Erik motioned to them.  Rebecca glanced at him and he smiled proudly at Erik's distinction.  The Lady Deathstrike also seemed pleased and glanced at their leader with a great measure of respect.

            Rebecca frowned, "Oh, yeah?  Well, you found me, good for you."

            "Yes," Magneto agreed in a slow and thoughtful tone, "Not an easy task considering the company you keep.  Or those in the Council who keep a watch on you."

            She did not reply, simply glared at Magneto indignantly, as he spoke.

            "I knew your mother...many years ago now," he continued, "Before you and your brother were born.  When I myself was actively involved in the Council's affairs."

            Rebecca was still frowning, but the expression had changed, involuntarily, to one of curiosity.  She glanced around again at the others in the room.  Brotherhood of Mutants?  She had heard that name before, and a man who could manipulate metal, that sounded like the mutant the police had apprehended at Liberty Island.  The news had never released his name but Sebastian had known it at the time...

            "You're...you're Erik Lensherr..." she said quietly and tensed against the wall.

            Magneto smiled, very pleased at the recognition, and nodded forward slightly.

            "My reputation precedes me," he said, "I'm not sure if you should consider that good or bad..."

            Rebecca swallowed nervously, "Well, you've broken into my home, attacked me, destroyed my kitchen and now have me stuck to a wall...and completely at your mercy...so I'm going to say...um, _good?_"

            "I apologize for the invasiveness of our introduction, my dear," he said with a sad smile, "And, considering what I had known about your mother, our directness now seems quite unwise."

            Rebecca nodded and glanced around the room with a sigh.  The explosion she had caused, plus the trick with the appliances, had left the downstairs rooms covered with shattered glass and metal.  Most breakables (which were also valuables of her uncle) had fallen from shelves and pedestals.  She suddenly chuckled at the thought of her glass-manipulating brother sitting with the thousands of pieces and trying to fuse them all back together into the right order.

            "Yeah," she said through her nervous laughter, "Just a little unwise.  You could have just looked me up in the phone book.  Maybe called up, sent an e-mail?"

            Pyro laughed quietly from the back of the room, and Rebecca glanced at him and shrugged.

            "What?  I'm listed.  Would have saved my uncle the cost of the windows," she said with a strange grin, which faded quickly, "What about Sid?  You don't have anyone attacking him, do you?"

            Magneto could sense the heat again as the young woman pulled at her chained wrist again, sudden concern for her brother overpowering her fear.  

            "Sid?" he asked.

            "My brother…Jeremy…" she replied.  Magneto shook his head and smiled.

            "No," he said, "We thought it easier to acquire you both here, to speak to you privately.  My recent incarceration prevents me from enjoying the luxuries of public appearances."

            "Speak to us about what?" Rebecca asked, defensively.  Magneto had said _acquire_ them, what had he meant by that, she wondered.

            "About the future of our people," he replied, his face become stony and somber, "About the survival of the mutant race."

            Then, Magneto expression changed again, fading back into his friendly smile.

            "We are simply trying to help the world _understand_ what mutants are.  There are so many dark rumors of our intentions.  And of the attacks eight months ago.  No one knows all the real facts and _ignorance..._is the root of all hatred.  Your mother understood this, and I was hoping to have her _support_ in our ventures."

            Rebecca looked at him for a long moment.  The sudden intensity in his voice made her extremely wary of his former pleasant demeanor.  There was more to his motivations than he was admitting but she decided it was safer to listen to what he had to say than to try another escape.  The power was rolling inside of her, but she did not trust her control in this dangerous situation, and she pushed it away.

            "Ventures against things like the Mutant Registration Act?" she asked, and forced her body to relax, "Like, _intense_ negotiations?"

            Magneto nodded, "Hopefully, not too intense, Miss Malloy.  If you are familiar with the Council, you know that approach is not effective."

            "Not real effective with me either, Mr. Lensherr," she said and twisted her wrist underneath the metal shackle.

            Magneto raised one hand casually and the metal confining her fell to the ground.  She stumbled forward and steadied herself against the wall.

            "Thanks," she mumbled, rubbing her left wrist, and then glanced down at the bar that had been wrapped around her waist.  It was still partially covered with a black plastic cover and the remaining letters spelled, _OREMAN GRIL; the remainders of her George Foreman Grill._

            Rebecca sighed, "Damn...I loved that thing."

            Magneto glanced at Deathstrike and nodded.  She turned and headed out of the room towards the front door, going to prepare the car for their departure.

            "Purhaps," Magneto said, "We should adjourn to somewhere more suitable to talk.  I would like to meet Jeremy also, can your brother be contacted easily?"

            Rebecca nodded, "I can reach him...this...," she motioned around the room, "This might take a while to explain..."

            At her words, a shelf to her left crumbled to the floor.  Erik motioned for the rest of the Brotherhood to head out of the room.  Mystique nodded and turned to leave, pulling a grumbling Sabertooth along with her.  Pyro followed next, and then Toad.  As Sabertooth stomped through the living room, a vase on one intact shelf wobbled unsteadily.

            Rebecca saw it begin to fall and made a motion toward it with a small concerned gasp.  Toad reached out quickly and steadied it with one hand.  He turned and grinned at her, amused.

            Rebecca returned his grin and exhaled in relief.

            "Thanks alo…" she began but was cut off suddenly as a red light shot through the living room windows from outside and smashed the vase violently.  Toad jumped quickly out of the way as the rest of the Brotherhood ducked quickly.  Rebecca just stood, with her hands on her hips and sighed again.

            _Figures…_she thought.

            Another blast tore through the room and the Brotherhood scattered to evade the beams.  Magneto headed quickly to the back hall, as Sabertooth roared and turned to face the new attacker.  Mystique went quickly to the large mutant's side, motioning for Pyro to go to Magneto and head for cover.

            As they moved, several new figures appeared inside her home.  She could not make them out entirely, but she could easily see three sets of glowing eyes, one white and the other two a fiery red.

            Toad did not join his Brothers in their battle.  Instead, he grabbed Rebecca by the waist and drug her back into the dining room.  Rebecca yelped in surprise but did not struggle as they moved.  He released her, and she fell next to the large central table.

            "Stay here," Toad said to her.

            "What is going on now?" she asked him angrily.

            Before he could reply, a figure appeared in the doorway, eyes glowing red and a ball of energy crackling in his hand.  With a small flick of his wrist, the intruder shot the ball of energy at Toad, who evaded it and scaled one wall quickly.

            Rebecca pulled herself up to peer over the table top, just in time to watch Toad's long tongue shoot toward the new mutant viciously.  The red-eyed mutant dodged to the left and slammed into the wall near her.  He glanced at her in surprise, and in that moment of distraction, was thrown violently forward as Toad's tongue wrapped around his arm and pulled.  From the floor, the mutant pulled something from his pocket with his free hand.  The object flared to life and crackled with new energy.  He threw the object toward Toad, who was thrown backward into the kitchen from the subsequent explosion as the object hit the wall.

            Feeling completely confused, Rebecca gaped at the new mutant as he stood slowly and stepped back toward her.  She scrambled to her feet quickly and stared at him.  His eyes seemed to dim slightly and he looked at her with concern.

            "Are you alright, _ma chere_?" he asked her with a thick Cajun accent.

            "Not…entirely…" she said slowly, regarding him cautiously.  From the other rooms, sounds of crashing and yelling could be heard and Rebecca guessed her new arrivals were greeted as warmly as her first intruder greeted Cajun man.

            "Come with me now," he ordered and grabbed her arm to pull her along.

            _Alright…_ she thought angrily, _…that's__ enough…_

            "No," she relied forcefully, unintentionally heating the man's gripping hand, "Not until _someone_…_anyone,_" she called louder, "…_explains to me what the hell is going on!_"

            The Cajun man looked confused, "_We_ are here saving _you_ from the Brotherhood!  Now we must move!"

            "Saving me?" she shouted back.

            Before the Cajun man could answer, the ruined refrigerator was shoved roughly aside and Toad leapt out from behind it.  The new mutant reached for his pockets again, but was tackled by the green mutant before he could reach them.  The Cajun man was thrown to the side and landed hard on the floor next to Rebecca.

            He coughed, and shook his head, "_Merde.  'Let me go with them, Professor.' Yeah, _that_ was a brilliant idea, Remy, just brilliant…"_

             Rebecca shifted over to where he lay and helped him sit up as he choked.  From her other side, Toad stalked toward the Cajun man, his vicious stare never leaving his target.

            "Fuckin' X-Men," he growled and Rebecca glanced back at him.

            The Cajun man drew something from his pocket and it began to glow.  In the moment of tense anticipation of battle, Rebecca stood between the two opponents and held hands up to each. 

            "Whoa," she said, "Enough.  Stop it now."

            "You don't understand, _chere_," the Cajun man said, "_He's_ dangerous…"

            Rebecca glared back at him, "And, _you're not_, Mr. I-Blow-Up-Drywall?  This is _my house.  And I've had way too many people __breaking in and then trying to __save me…got it?"_

            She glanced back to Toad, who was staring at her angrily for the interruption.

            "Got it?" she asked him directly.  Toad took a step back, and then replied as Rebecca turned her head away from him again.

            "_No," he said, and then jumped over her toward the X-Man.  The attack was quick but not unexpected.  The new mutant shot another ball of energy toward the ceiling and it crumbled around them, blasting a giant hole in the first and second floors._

            As the debris settled around them, the insanity unfolding around Rebecca Malloy became complete and utter chaos.  She coughed and looked out toward the night sky.

            Meeting her startled gaze, thirty-five feet above where she had fallen to the floor, was a giant robotic face.


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Inner Warnings

Author's note:  Need to take a step back and let the other characters catch up.  Sorry if this is back tracking a little bit but need to set up the events about to unfold.  Ooooo….that sounded all _serious_.  

PS – WolfKyr, your statement made me curious so I timed a fleeing giraffe and realized that's pretty damn fast.  I've tried to be that fast when writing, but my fingers get all cramped.  I can only reach about the speed of a runaway orangutan, though I've heard that's still nothing to complain about when it comes to words per minute.  

Ah, there, seriousness averted!  :-)  __

***

Chapter Nineteen:

            As Rebecca Malloy was meeting the Brotherhood, Jeremy Malloy was meeting his date for dinner.  Something had been bothering him for about an hour, though he was not sure what it was.  Like a nagging in his mind, a strange warning he knew he could not ignore.

            "Excuse me," he said to the woman (the much older woman) whom had accompanied him to the restaurant, "I just need to make a phone call."

            The woman nodded, and smiled warmly at him as he left.  She did not know him as 'Sid,' a nickname shared only by his family and closest friends.  And, if she had known the debonair gentleman was barely in his twenties, and also a mutant, she most likely would have had a much different attitude toward him.  However, Jeremy Malloy was a charming, if not a little bit arrogant, man of society who frequented many prestigious parties and restaurants wooing the upper classes of Chicago's ladies.

            Sid used this alternate identity to make a name for himself both in the financial world and, more importantly, the technological world.  His true passion, other than those of the feminine persuasion, had always been computers and technology.  He had developed and sold many designs for aircraft already to various sources, and planned to open his own company as soon as his income capital allowed.

            But, Sid also had his other life, his _real _life.  Hidden under a facade of wealth and intelligence, he was still a young man who had family and friends in much less favorable places in the world.  And in that family was his sister, his other and opposite self, and usually when the warning feeling filled his mind, it had something to do with her.

            Sid approached the restaurant's main host and asked politely to use a private phone.  The host escorted him to a quiet back hall and directed him to several small cubicles, each with a desk and phone.

            Sid thanked the host and tipped him well, before sitting down and dialing his home phone number quickly.  His movements were smooth and solid, beautiful but hard as the glass he could control.  He ran one hand reflexively through his blonde hair and felt his heart begin to pound as the phone rang again and again.

            _Something's wrong_, he mind insisted, but Sid hung up and dialed Rebecca's cell phone.  She could still be out, she has late nights at the Library sometimes, and tonight...

            _Tonight, there's something wrong_, that inner voice insisted again, as the new number rang, _She can't get to the phone…_

            Sid slammed the receiver back into its base and moved quickly back into the main lobby of the restaurant.  His hand was in his pocket, flexing a small ball of glass as he walked.  He could feel heat there and his gripped it in his palm tightly.

            As he reached the host's platform, he smiled up at the man, struggling to keep his cool demeanor.

            "I'm afraid an emergency has just come up," he said and the host nodded, "Please see that my lady friend is well taken care of."

            "Of course, Mr. Malloy," the host said with a gracious smile and headed in the direction of the table.

            Sid's face melted from one of professional grace to a nervous and worried child.  He knew something was wrong, he never questioned how he knew, but he knew.  Him and Becca, they always know where they are, and they always know if something is wrong.  Call it instinct or ESP or whatever else, they always just know.

            _She's at home, he thought as he headed out the door, his mind racing with the precision of a machine, _Becca, if you can hear me…I know.__

            As Sid walked past the large display windows of the restaurant, the glass rippled and fogged.  When a renovation crew arrived the next day to make repairs, the windows would still be viscous and pliable and they would have no idea what made the glass so unstable.

***

            As the Lady Deathstrike stepped out the front door, she only took a few steps before she paused.  She glanced around the dark street warily and inhaled deeply through her nose.  There was a scent in the air she recognized, and a vicious grin spread across her face.

            _The Wolverine.  She was not sure how it was possible but she had no doubt that he was nearby._

            Quietly, moving like a learned predator, she made her way around to the back of the house.  She glanced at the ground and noted several sets of fresh footprints leading across the lawn.

            Deathstrike peered around one corner, and saw five figures in the darkness.  Magneto had explained to her about those who followed Charles Xavier, how they interfered with his plans to make the world better for mutants.  They were a danger to her leader and their mission.

            But, in this moment, her eyes locked on only one of them.  They were facing away from her, speaking in low voices as they tried to see into the dark house.  She approached slowly, and smiled again as she heard the Wolverine sniffing the air.

            _That's right, she thought, _Remember, you son of a bitch.  Out of all those you have killed…remember _my_ scent...Because I'll be the one who kills you.__

***

            "They're inside," Wolverine said confidently.  The other three X-Men, and one Cajun trainee, lingered outside the dark house and debated their next move.  

            Iceman stared up at the charred windows of the home with a stony expression.  He had been well trained over the past eight months, but he doubted any amount of training could have prepared him for this first encounter with the Brotherhood.  He had met Magneto and Mystique before, and knew what to expect from them.  He had even learned the most evasive techniques for dealing with the powers of other mutants loyal to Magneto.

            However, the second floor had obviously been damaged by fire, and he wondered if John Allerdyce, now simply referred to as Pyro by his former teachers and mentors, had been the cause of the flames they had seen from the jet.

            Cyclops turned to face Wolverine, and frowned, "How many?"

            "_All of them," he replied.  Wolverine glared through the dark windows with his hand clenched into fists.  _

            Iceman looked over at the ferial man with trepidation, his cool exterior betrayed by his own anxiety.  His own hands suddenly felt very cold, very heavy; the burden of his mutation had not weighed on him this heavily since the abrupt departure from his family on the day before Alkalai Lake.  The last day he had considered Pyro a friend.

            "All of them," Storm repeated softly, "The Professor was right about Magneto not wasting his time getting the Brotherhood back to full strength."

            "So," Iceman asked quickly, "There're four of them?"

            Storm looked at him sternly, but not without a measure of sympathy.

            "Five," she corrected him and then turned back towards Cyclops, "I doubt they've realized we're here…"

            "You sure about that?" Wolverine said darkly, sniffing the air and frowning.

            "I think we would _know if they __knew," Storm said, thinking back on Liberty Island, "Killing is a game they _like_ to play…"_

            Cyclops shook his head, "Yeah, but if the Professor's right about their motivations tonight, I don't think their here to harm those kids, just acquire them…"

            Wolverine listened to the others vaguely, and suddenly focused on something else.  It was familiar, dangerous, what his keen senses were warning him about.  It was the same sense he had in that abandoned base in the Colorado Rockies.  A passing scent…a presence…like a ghost from his past…

            "Shit," he said softly and stepped away from the house.  

            "Logan, what is it?" Cyclops asked as Wolverine unsheathed his claws.  

            "I'm not sure," he lied and then looked at the other X-Man and continued, "Go…Do what we're here to do…I'm gonna watch this side."

            Cyclops frowned, but nodded.  There was no time to argue here.  He lead the others around the corner and Wolverine turned back to face the shadows.  The yard was quiet and he walked toward the front of the house slowly.

            The wind was blowing softly and the scents in the air lingered.  The peaceful night was suddenly betrayed by a very familiar noise.  Metal against metal, opening upon itself, such a delicate sound compared to the harsh tearing of his own claws, but no less dangerous.

            _It's impossible, he thought, and then added cynically, __Don't think that, bub.  Irony hates you…_

            He heard a footstep and spun viciously around as figure, no longer a ghost or memory, stepped in front of him and smiled.  She had not changed in form from the woman he had battled at Alkalai Lake, but in her eyes he saw the hunger of the beast, and any trace of Stryker's caged slave had disappeared.

            "Hello, Brother," Lady Deathstrike announced in a clear tone, the first time Logan had heard her speak.  She was flexing her fingers as far as her long adamantium claws would allow with wild anticipation.  

            "You're alive…" he said, almost to confirm the fact for himself.  She laughed, her voice almost melodic, yet so full of hatred it seemed hardly possible that both sounds came from the same throat.

            "You're right…" she agreed.

            A series of explosions could be heard from within the home, as the other X-Men and Brotherhood members began to clash.

            Deathstrike regarded him for a long moment, the vicious smiled fading from her face.  She clicked her metallic fingertips together rhythmically, setting the beat, counting down, to the tempo of her own heart.  Wolverine could hear both sounds becoming faster and when the Lady spoke again, her voice was a low growl.

            "_This time, you'll be the one who dies," she said and sprung from the ground toward him._

            Wolverine braced himself for impact and swung his fist toward her as she lunged.  Deathstrike landed in front of him, her long claws meeting his own with the screech of grinding metal.  They held a moment when the torn flesh of their fists touched, standing face to face, each equal in strength and power, made to be death's most effective purveyors.

            Deathstrike brought her legs up and shoved Wolverine away by his chest; their momentary stand off ended as she lunged at him again.  As they struggled, another weapon, made by the same madman who gave them their claws, was approaching their companions.


	21. Chapter Twenty: Waking Nightmares

Chapter Twenty:

            After Cyclops blasted through the living room wall, he entered the house just as Magneto and Pyro headed down the front hall.  He moved to follow them, and was met with the snarling obstacle known as Sabertooth.  As the large mutant reached for him, however, his arm was coated to the elbow with a thick layer of ice.

            Sabertooth turned toward Iceman and lunged at the much smaller mutant.  Iceman jumped back in surprise and hit the intact living room wall.  With quick skill he formed a large layer of ice between himself and his attacker.  Sabertooth swung the heavy ice-coated fist and it slammed into the frozen wall.  

            Iceman gaped as a circular crack began to grow along the wall and he could hear the large mutant growling behind it.  There was a glow of red and the hulk of a man was blown to the side.  Iceman stepped out from behind the ice wall just as Sabertooth recoiled and lunged at Cyclops again.

            On the other side of the room, Storm noticed a very much alive, very familiar green mutant dragging a young woman she did not recognize into the next room.  She began to head in his direction, when Mystique stood in her path.  Storm's dark eyes suddenly became ghostly white in the darkness.  Rain and strong lightning were useless indoors, so she created a focused tunnel of wind to shift the blue mutant out of her way.

            However, Mystique skillfully darted out of the way and morphed quickly into an exact copy of her teammate.  Storm faced a duplicate of Sabertooth, equally as vicious and dangerous as the original.  

            Storm glanced back to Gambit and pointed in the direction of the dining room.  

            "Follow them!" she shouted, "Get the girl out!"

            Gambit was staring wide eyed at the beautiful blue woman who just changed into a large cat guy, and nodded to Storm before heading after Toad.

            Mystique charged toward Storm with heavy pounding steps.  Storm felt the power crackling in her hands and raised one up in a halting gesture.  Suddenly, Mystique morphed back into her much smaller and agile self and slid skillfully beneath her attack.  She kicked the white haired mutant in the stomach and Storm stumbled backward.

            She steadied herself against a charred piece of furniture and reached out toward Mystique, electricity flowing up through her, up from the ground and impacting a tall metal lamp on the far side of the room.  The white light blinded her opponent temporarily and she met the blue mutant head on.

***

            As his Brothers battled, Magneto headed quickly out the back of the house followed by a very angry Pyro.  He was glancing back as he walked, toward the fighting mutants, and hated that he was being forced to keep away.

            "I can help them!" he shouted as his leader moved across the grass.

            Magneto ignored the boy's demands, focusing instead on finding the Lady Deathstrike.

            "I need you _here, Pyro," Magneto said evenly, a contrast to the fury in his eyes._

            _Charles, he thought, _You just don't give up, do you?  Not even when one of your children has been killed by your foolish ideals…__

            "I should be back there!" Pyro shouted again, "I want to fight!"

            Magneto stopped suddenly in his pace and spun toward the boy.  He loomed over the youngest Brother, and Pyro froze and fell silent when he looked into the older man's eyes.  They seemed to be filled with more than one life's share of shadows, and shone with rage like steel on fire.  Every argument ringing through Pyro's mind a moment before disappeared and he recoiled as Magneto began to speak.

            "_Do…not…challenge…my…authority…boy," he said, enunciating every word with specific intent, "_And…do …not question my decisions.  Now…FOLLOW ME_."_

            Pyro stared at Magneto, for the first time, with real fear.  Any trace of the older man's simple grace and stateliness vanished behind his fury.  Magneto glared down at him for another moment, then turned and continued to march around the house.  Pyro did not hesitate to keep step behind him, but inwardly was still quaking from the dark warning.  The rules of the Brotherhood were few, and Pyro had broken the most important one.  Right now, he was simply thanking his maker that Magneto's reprimand had been so light.

            From around one corner, the biting clash of steel on steel rang through the darkness, and Magneto grinned broadly.  As he and Pyro walked, the Lady and the Wolverine came into view.  In the heat of battle, neither noticed as Magneto raised one hand and took control of their adamantium bones.

***

            Deathstrike grinned viciously as five long claws on one hand slashed easily into Wolverine's arm.  She twisted her fingers and watched fresh blood pour from his wounds.

            Logan roared from the sudden pain and swung his fist towards her face.  His three blades impacted one of the metal plates encasing her skull and ripped through the skin.  Deathstrike reeled from the blow and stumbled backward.  She glared ferociously at him and felt her face begin to regenerate.  At the same time, Wolverine's arm stopped bleeding and the torn muscles returned to their perfect condition.

            "We don't need to do this," Wolverine said in between deep breaths.

            Deathstrike growled at him, "Yes…we do."

            "_Why?" he asked and she stalked toward him again.  They kept an even distance apart, pacing in a slow circle as they spoke._

            "Stryker was my enemy," she said angrily, "He made me, as he made you.  But, I was his puppet…_I was his slave!  __Years of torture, years of suffering his humiliations and not being able to do anything but WATCH!"_

            She held up her hand and pointed her artificial claws toward him.

            "And then _you…the __one other in the world who should have __known.  Who should have __understood!  You are _blind.  You left me to die in that lab…that tank…the fucking core of our NIGHTMARES!_"_

            Wolverine stared at her with disbelief.  At the time, he had not thought of who she had been, at the time he had only been trying to save his friends…his family.  She had attacked him on Stryker's order to kill, an order she could not disobey, and he had reacted in turn.  Each of them, in that moment, had been what Stryker had meant them to be…weapons who killed mutants.

            Wolverine shook his head, "I didn't know…"

            "Now you do," she replied immediately, "Think of me…now.  Think of me…as you die…Brother…"

            Deathstrike leapt toward him again, and Wolverine prepared to defend himself, as she once again left him with no other choice.

            As Wolverine tried to move, he found himself frozen in place.  Likewise, Deathstrike hung suspended in the air, fighting against the invisible hold on her limbs.  She glanced to her left and noticed Magneto standing nearby.

            "_Let me go!" she screamed, and Magneto tilted his head sympathetically._

            "Now, now, child," he chided with strange kindness, "I'm afraid…the time had come for us to depart."

            Magneto made a soft motion with his hand and the Lady floated to the ground.  She glared at him in fury, but retracted her claws and stood at attention.  Unlike Pyro, she was a learned soldier and knew better than to argue with her commander.  

            Magneto smiled, "Let your dear Wolverine…_think_," he said the word with some doubt, "…about what you've told him tonight.  Let your memories haunt someone else tonight…"

            Wolverine ground his teeth and fought against Magneto's power as the older man stared down at him condescendingly.  He shifted his gaze back to Deathstrike and her face had become blank and cold.  

            _Think of me… he heard her words in his mind again.  _

            Then, a low hum filled the air.  The wind changed, the cool night air displaced and drawn upward in an artificial vacuum.  The four mutants looked into the night sky and saw a new nightmare lowering slowly to the earth.

            The machine was round and narrow, nearly ten feet in diameter, and hovered above the house.  It seemed to be sectioned into a broken spiral, and from the edges shone four dim spotlights.  The beams glowed green, meant to reveal the darkest hiding places.  

            "What the hell is that?" Pyro said and instinctively opened his lighter at the sense of new danger.  

            Magneto and Wolverine exchanged glances, each searching the other's eyes for some kind of explanation.  When none was found, Magneto released Wolverine from his power, who stumbled and turned to better see the unusual aircraft.

            Deathstrike glared at her freed enemy and waited for her commander to speak.

            After a moment, the machine rotated and began to change.  The spiraled sections began to open, folding out upon each other, as it lowered to the ground.  It spread into a star shape, and its true form became clear.

            Magneto, if none of the other observers, realized what he was seeing.  Mystique, in one visit to Stryker's offices before Alkalai Lake, had found blueprints for a machine, a giant machine, created for one purpose.

            To collect and detain so-called "mutant threats."  To gather Magneto's people…and take them somewhere else…away from society…segregated into camps…

            "_No," Magneto said quietly and raised his hand toward the giant, humanoid shaped machine.  He focused all of his significant strength toward the robot…the Sentinel…and willed it into his command._

            But, nothing happened.  Whatever the machine was constructed from…it was not metal.

            Before his horror could take hold of him, Magneto ran quickly toward the house, and the three other mutants followed.

            "What are you doing?" Wolverine shouted to his enemy, "Stop the fucking thing!"

            Wolverine then heard something in the other man's voice he had never heard there before…fear.

            Magneto's eyes darkened and filled with hate, "I can't."

***

Author's note:  I own no characters depicted here.  I do own some soup and paper towels I bought at the grocery store today but they don't have very interesting dialogues or super powers.

If anyone is curious, the descriptions of the Sentinels were taken from a spoiler pic I found online.  The same pic is also on the X2 DVD somewhere.  Hope it's a good visual aid for what Magneto and company are now faced with.  Mwahahaha…


	22. Chapter TwentyOne: Clash

Chapter Twenty-One:

            As the dust and broken pieces of wood and glass settled around him, Toad kicked a section of the destroyed wall away from his legs, and cursed angrily through his coughing.  The room was now open to the clearing night sky, but all of his attention was focused on finding his opponent.

            He shifted the remains of a window frame out of his way as he crouched among the rubble.  There was no sign of the X-Man, but his eyes found Rebecca lying on the ruined carpet, staring wide-eyed at the large, new entrance into her dining room.

            Rebecca was moving herself backward along the floor, staying low and creeping slowly underneath the large dining room table.  She was gaping upward, a mix of fear and confusion covering her face.

            From the other room, a strong commanding voice rang over the noise of the battling mutants.  Toad turned his head to glance backward and listen.  It was Magneto's voice.  Why had he returned to the house while the X-Men were still here?  They, in their condescending opinion, would need to capture and turn Erik Lensherr over to the authorities, the one event the Brotherhood sought to avoid at all costs, even at the risk of their own incarcerations.

            He heard Mystique's smooth and silky voice speaking harshly and the low growling of who could only be the Wolverine cut her off quickly.

            "_He's telling you," the Wolverine was suddenly shouting, "__We all have to get out of this house NOW!  There's something…"_

            There was a sudden crash from outside and the ground shook violently.  Toad looked around in surprise.  He glanced over at Rebecca, who met his eyes and then pointed toward the broken wall.  Her face looked ghostly pale in the dim light, and filling with terror.  

            Toad moved his gaze in the direction she was indicating, and noticed out on the lawn, he could see what looked like a giant leg.  There was a base, like a foot, and about ten feet from the ground, there was a large break, a hinge so it could bend.

            _What the hell? he thought and frowned in confusion.  He began to move toward Rebecca, as she continued to push herself further into the room, when the ceiling above them began to crack._

            Toad leapt over to the far wall and clung a moment above Rebecca's head.  She did not seem to notice him, as two great hands reached through the hole created by the Cajun X-Man and ripped the remainders of the second floor from the house.  The fingers folded in, one at a time, creating a loud crack as they locked into place.  

            Rebecca's back had hit the wall between the dining room and kitchen, and all she could do in that moment of panic was stare, watching the giant hands destroy her home.  In her entire life, through every bizarre event the Underground or Council had thrown at her, she never felt more helpless than now.  Her power reacted to anger and danger, but her own terror was dampening her strength.

            As the giant machine tore apart the wall, the second story began to collapse.  With a quick jump, Toad landed on the floor and lifted the girl up by the shoulders roughly.  He took a few backward steps toward the kitchen doorway, and stared upward as the roof fell away.  Toad saw the machine's face and met its cold shining eyes.  He knew what it was, Magneto had insisted they all be informed of Mystique's discoveries in Stryker's lab, and Deathstrike had confirmed the plans for a machine like this.  Seeing it now, the growing hate he held toward 'normal' human beings raged furiously within him.

            His hands gripped tightly on Rebecca's upper arms and Toad heard her gasp.  She looked backward at him, the quick pain jolting her back to reality.  Her frightened shock began to fade and Toad saw a practiced and calm determination taking its place.  

            Then, from his right, he saw the Cajun X-Man struggling to his feet from under a pile of rubble.  The urge to shove him down again was almost overwhelming, but Rebecca moved quicker than he could, and she helped Gambit stand.  

            The three mutants moved into the kitchen just as the four green search lights began to sweep the ruined room.

***

            Magneto watched the other mutants freeze as the loud tearing sound was heard from the other room.  The ceiling began to collapse and the X-Men moved quickly out of the house.  The Brotherhood, in practiced and perfect order, awaited his gesture before departing the crumbling building.  

            Water sprayed wildly from broken pipes, which Iceman promptly froze.  It took him a moment to realize Pyro was standing next to him.  They glanced at each other but did not speak.  There was too much time, too much pain from the past year that prevented them from connecting further in that moment of danger.  They would meet again, each knew, as enemies, but that time was not now.

            "Where's Remy?" Iceman asked quickly, looking away from Pyro and back at Storm.

            "He followed Toad," she said, "He was dragging someone else into the other room…They must still be inside…"

            Magneto seemed not to hear her as she shouted and directed the Brotherhood to follow him away from the house.  They moved without question, but Pyro hesitated, glancing between his leader, the ruined home and the X-Men.  He met Bobby's stare one last time and then ran after the others.

            Cyclops saw the Brotherhood's leaving as a retreat and called the other X-Men to order.  Wolverine unsheathed his claws and both men ran toward the machine viciously.  

            Storm glanced upward toward the sky and felt the electricity surge through the clouds.  She tried directing that power through the humanoid machine, but the bolts of lightning would not connect with its exterior.  She frowned with frustration and followed Wolverine and Cyclops.

            Iceman focused on the 'feet,' and coated the ground with a thick layer of ice.  However, the frozen mass melted quickly, and puddle at the machine's base.  Bobby made another attempt with the same results.

            Cyclops began to fire at the machine's hinged joints in rapid succession.  Each blow seemed to be absorbed by its outer skin, rather than impacted by the beams of energy that shot from his eyes.

            Wolverine slashed into the outer hull and tore downward.  The machine did not react, and continued to pull apart the home carefully, almost methodically.  If it had meant to kill, Wolverine decided it would have already.  This was something different than a weapon meant to kill.  

            It was able to resist a variety of mutant attacks; it could have easily been equipped with a weapon to destroy them where they stood.  Instead, it was almost searching, examining each attack they launched with a monstrous curiosity.

            After a few more moments of destruction to the home, the machine straightened its 'back' and stood eerily at attention.  The strange motorized internal sounds grew quiet, and its 'chest' began to fold in on itself, concaving into its body.

            The X-Men positioned themselves in a circle around its 'feet' and prepared for another attack.

            Suddenly, from the opened section in its middle, long serpent-like tentacles flew forth towards the mutants; all of the machine's slow, focused movements did not exist in the explosive mass of cylindrical appendages which lunged toward the X-Men with terrifying speed.

***

            "Is the target still priority?" Magneto heard Deathstrike ask in a cold, monotone voice.  He was drawing cars to him from up and down block to create a barrier on the front lawn.  Each vehicle crashed as it piled atop the one before.  He ordered the Brotherhood to take fighting positions in case they had other enemies approaching on foot, and finally, spoke loudly.

            "The _target is still priority," he said, "It seems our enemies have grown more powerful.  I would hate to make another tonight…if that child comes to harm."_

            Pyro frowned, "What _do we do about the others inside?"_

            Magneto turned toward him, and Pyro expected to see the rage there from before, but the older man smiled confidently.  

            "Our Brother within can take care of himself," he said, "He will guard our target.  Meanwhile, your time to fight _as a Brother…may be at hand."_

            The scattered lights of concerned neighbors had begun to light, but the earlier sirens had never even reached the street.  Now, the entire neighborhood fell dark, and the only illumination came from the Sentinel's large, glowing spotlights.

            After another moment, a single set of headlights appeared at the end of the road, and sped down toward them.  Magneto lifted one hand, and prepared to destroy the vehicle as it approached and Pyro, following his commander's warning, opened his lighter in preparation.

            The dark night, however, was not broken by police or military vehicles.  A single blue Mercedes tore down the road and finally squealed to a halt in front of the Brotherhood. 

            From within the car, Sid Malloy stared in horror at the battleground which had once been his home.


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo: No Escape

Chapter Twenty-Two:

            With the two strangers following her, Rebecca bolted through the ruined kitchen, maneuvering around the appliances lying in twisted almost unrecognizable shapes and the contents of the refrigerator that had spilled out onto the floor.  She reached the second entrance to the room, when a strong hand grabbed her arm again.

            "_Wait," Toad hissed at her in a whisper and pulled her back.  She shook free of his hold and glared angrily._

            Gambit walked up behind them, his eyes still glowing red but filled with an amused confusion as he stepped over piles of leftover Chinese food, donuts, pizza…and diet soda.

            "_We have to get out of here," she replied quietly, "__Before the rest of my house falls on us."_

            Rebecca began to move and Toad stood in her way, slamming on arm against the doorway to block her exit.  From the direction of the Sentinel, they began to hear a bizarre combination of thunder and explosions over the tearing of wood and glass as the X-Men began their attack on the machine.

            "_You don't know what's out there," he argued in a low voice, "__Orders are to get out without gettin' caught."_

            Rebecca shook her head, and argued back, "_Not my orders!  I can take care of anything that…_"

            "_Magneto's orders!" he interrupted her, "__And we're gonna follow them!  Got it?"_

            Rebecca looked at him with annoyance and mimicked his earlier tone, "_No."_

            "Why are you whispering?" Gambit asked over another loud crash.  He struggled to keep from laughing as Toad and Rebecca glared at him.  

            He supposed he should have been more frightened about his situation (giant killer robot and all), but from the moment he met the X-Men his life had not made sense.  Why should his first mission with them be any different?

            Another explosion was then followed by a strange silence.  Toad frowned and stepped back toward the entrance to the dining room.  He pointed one finger at Rebecca and then looked at Gambit.

            "You…don't let 'er go anywhere."

            Gambit shrugged, draped his arm over her shoulder comically and gave her a rough hug.

            "Don't worry, _mon ami," he replied with a two fingered salute, "I'm very good at watching the ladies…"_

            Toad turned around and shook his head.  This Cajun X-Man was either a rookie or insane…Toad was not sure which one was worse.

            Rebecca rolled her eyes and shrugged Gambit's arm away.  She headed towards Toad and heard Gambit chuckling, almost manically behind her.  As she approached, Toad crouched and peered carefully out into the other room.  The X-Men were circled around the machine, which had changed shape again.  His large eyes grew wider as the mass of tentacles burst from the Sentinel's chest cavity.

***

            Wolverine shouted a warning to his companions as the serpent-like extensions of the machine reached for them.  There were at least two dozen, quick and agile, moving toward their targets with terrifying precision.

            Iceman held out both hands and formed a large wall of ice in front of the machine.  The tentacles impacted the frozen structure and, to Bobby's horror, immediately began to tear it to pieces.  The end of each long strand was different, one for cutting, one for gripping…one for heating.  

            Cyclops adjusted his visor to a pinpoint and began firing rapid controlled shots at each writhing section.  Almost with an intelligence, the strands divided and began to reach for Cyclops as well.  Before he could react, they began to wind themselves around his arms and legs, dragging him forward across the grass.  

            Storm went to his side, and held him firmly against the machine's pull.  One of the tentacles hit her in the neck and a sharp pain made her cry out.  Wolverine ran up to his teammates and began slashing the tentacles, his adamantium blades easily cutting through them.  Storm and Cyclops fell to the ground, and Storm's head lolled to one side, unconscious.  Cyclops pulled the remaining pieces from his limbs and called out her name anxiously.  He touched her neck and felt a pulse, slow but steady.

            One tentacle had managed to grab Iceman by the neck, and its pointed end jabbed into his shoulder.  Bobby choked a call for help and then his eyes closed.  He fell limp and the tentacle loosed its hold and dropped him to the ground.  Wolverine ran toward the fallen boy and the tentacle spun toward him.  With a small swipe of his arm, Wolverine cut the vicious device in two, the live half draw back into the Sentinel and the dead end being crushed under the X-Man's foot as he ran on.  

            The Sentinel began to step forward, crashing into the house and resuming its destructive search.  Wolverine grabbed Bobby by the shoulders and pulled him out of the machine's way.  Half way across the lawn, he found Cyclops dragging Storm toward a neighboring yard.

            "What do we do now, fearless leader?" Logan asked sarcastically and Scott glared at him.

            "I'm open to any suggestions!" he shot back and then looked back at the machine, "It's looking for someone…"

            "Where's Magneto?" Logan asked, "He couldn't stop that thing with his power.  Look," he held up one broken tentacle, "Means this shit isn't metal.  Means someone knew enough to build a robot out of something _he couldn't control…"_

            "We have to get Bobby and Storm to the jet," Cyclops said.

            Wolverine nodded and then sniffed the air, "Fast…whoever's controllin' Mr. Roboto over there is close…"

***

            Sid Malloy stared out at his house with horror.  On the lawn, there was a small black jet, half a dozen strange looking people, a pile of ruined cars…and from behind the house, what looked like a giant head.

            _Oh, crap, Sebastian's gonna kill Becca, he thought and then his mind continued, _I shouldn't get out of the car.  All normal people would just speed off…__

            He then noticed in the dim light the naked blue woman on his lawn and a hysterical giggle bubbled from his throat.

            _No…I should go see if Becca, and the naked chick, need my help._

            He knew Rebecca's response without her even being near him, _You're__ so fucking chivalrous, Sid._

            He waited another moment, and took a few deep breaths before opening the car door.  

            A voice rang across the lawn and Sid squinted to see the speaker.

            "Good evening, Mr. Malloy," Magneto called, "You may want to get out of the road if you wish to live."

            From either end of the street, groups of headlight began to surround the block.  From a short distance away, the thumping sounds of helicopters filled the air.  

            "Who the hell are you?" he asked, and then jumped in surprise as his car began to float into the air.  He reached out one hand and tried to pull it down by focusing on the glass windows and lights.  The car wavered, as if the force moving it had not expected resistance, but the Mercedes continued to move across the front yard.  Sid focused on the glass and the windows shattered outward.  He gathered the pieces to him as his car was dropped rudely on the barrier of automobiles.

            "My name is Erik Lensherr," the voice called again, "And I'm afraid your sister is in great danger."

            "So what else is new?" Sid replied sarcastically but moved quickly toward the older man, "You're Magneto…"

            With a nod, he replied, "Yes.  I'm afraid your home has been attacked by a machine known as a Sentinel.  I believe it has been created to…collect mutants.  I fear there are military forces closing in on this vicinity.  We will hold them off to give you time to escape."

            Sid stared at the man with mistrust, shards of glass hovering around him threateningly, "Why?  Why would they attack us?"

            Magneto's face filled with false sympathy, "Perhaps…because of who your mother is."

            The younger man gaped at Magneto as he continued.  A few pieces of the broken glass fell to the ground as Sid's concentration faltered.

            "I knew her," he continued, "Before you were born.  There are many who sought to capture her in the past.  Considering the temperament of certain parties towards mutants, say the SHOP for example, they may try to use you and your sister to find her again…"

            From behind Sid's back, Mystique was staring wide-eyed at Magneto as he spoke.  The words were not entirely lies; however, Erik Lensherr knew how to use the truth, in the right words, to his advantage.  He simply did not tell Sid that the Brotherhood had initiated tonight's visit with the Malloy family.

            "When we learned of the approaching danger," Magneto continued, "We dispatched to warn you.  I'm afraid, we were too late…"

            Sid looked toward his ruined house and Magneto studied his expression.  It faded from angry, to concerned, to something quite sad.  Inwardly, Magneto knew the young man would not entire trust them, but he believed them.

            _Mom, Sid thought sadly, _I guess I'm not the only one who thinks you're still alive…__

Magneto allowed the young man a moment to take in the truth of the situation and waited for him to reply.

            "Where's my sister?" Sid finally said, and met Magneto's gaze firmly, "If you mean to help us, we'll fight with you."

            Magneto heard the screech of tires and turned to face the approaching enemy.

            "Go…now…" he said to Sid, "She is in the house, with another of our people.  Find them…and come back to me."

            Sid nodded and ran toward the house, no longer doubting Magneto's kind sincerity.  He was not a demon or vampire, after all.  He was just another human being, threaten by the same people who drove their mother into hiding.  And, Sid would not let his mother…or his sister…fall into the SHOP's hands again.

***

            As Toad stepped backward into the kitchen, he bumped into Rebecca sitting behind him and sneered at her viciously.

            "_Bloody hell!" he shouted, and then glared at Gambit, "I told you not to let her go anywhere."_

            Gambit shrugged, "She didn't.  She is here."

            Rebecca raised her arms into the air exasperated, "_Hello!  My house!_  _Yet, NOW…more of an asylum than EVER!  And that's saying A LOT!_"

            With a frustrated growl, Toad stood and began to drag Rebecca toward the other door.  Gambit followed after them and heard the growing sound of metal scraping against metal.

            "Stop it!" Rebecca shouted, and a wave of heat rolled down her limbs.  Toad hissed in pain as the heat reached his hand.  

            "We have to go…NOW!" he shouted, and the scraping noises reached the inner walls of the house.

            "What's going on out there?" she shouted again, and before Toad could reply, the kitchen wall began to shake and splinter.

            From the other side, the tentacles began to snake through the open doorway and reach for them.  Rebecca screamed as the giant hands of the Sentinel tore apart the room and more tentacles poured from its chest.

            The three mutants ran toward the front hallway, and the writhing appendages followed.  Gambit felt something cold wrap around his legs and he fell to the floor with a cry of surprise.  He grabbed the machine and focused his energy through his hands.  The tentacle began to glow with power and he released it.  A moment later, the result explosion destroyed several of the reaching limbs, but also scorched one of his ankles.

            At the same time, Rebecca was shoved forward out of one attacker's path, and turned to see the machine wrap around Toad's waist.  He kicked at the machine futilely, unable to hit the writhing strand with the full force of his legs.  Rebecca ran up to him and pulled him backward.  The strand yanked at him and she lost her grip.  A new mass of tentacles crashed through the ceiling and wrapped around Rebecca's lower arms.

            _Big mistake, she thought as the power leapt in defense against the danger.  She reached upward and a small ball of fire burst from her palm.  The tentacle holding her disintegrated and she directed her outstretched hand toward Gambit and Toad.  _

            Two more fireballs connected with the mass of machines and destroyed most of them.  Before she could draw it back, the remaining walls began to burn and the front door blew off its hinges.  Toad slammed one powerful leg down on a remaining piece and it shattered.

            "Becca!" Sid's voice called from outside and she felt relief wash through her, dampening the fire within.

            "Sid!  In here!" she called, "We're coming out…"

            Rebecca did not get to finish the statement.  As her back was turned, a new group of tentacles, twice as many as before, rushed up the hall and attacked them.

            Three snaking limbs wrapped around her shoulders and she screamed again.  Gambit was pushing himself up the hall with his unwounded leg, and was also caught by the machines.  A larger arm reached for him and injected Gambit in the arm with the same substance that had knocked out Iceman and Storm.

            Toad leapt toward the front door and landed on one squirming arm.  Again, the machine did not snap or bend, but shattered.  He felt new tentacles wrapping around his legs and he tumbled next to Rebecca, the wind knocked out of his lungs.  He was pulled backward and Rebecca grabbed him by one arm.  He looked up in surprise before a needle hit him in the back.  Before closing his eyes, he felt her holding his hand tightly and saw her reaching her other hand back toward the front door.

            _Why doesn't the bloody woman just let me go? He thought before passing into darkness._

            Sid was running toward the house, and reached for his sister's hand.

            A sharp pain stabbed into Rebecca's neck and her arm dropped as she fell unconscious.

            Her brother's hand only grazed her fingers as she was pulled away.

***

Author's note:  I think my sister's text message to me today was "Cliffhanger!  AHHHH!"  I expect the same message tomorrow. 

There's been a bunch of new reviews (holy crap I think it's up to 30) so thanks everyone for the love (and the hate in regards to cliffhangers).  :-)


	24. Chapter TwentyThree: Bullets and Glass

Chapter Twenty-Three:

            Three black helicopters began to circle the house and Magneto smiled.

            He glanced back, and saw the Sentinel destroying the home of two mutants.

            Far to his left, he noticed two X-Men loading their companions onto their small black jet.

            Four large transport vans stopped on the street and soldiers took positions around the yard.

            As his side were three of his own strongest soldiers, awaiting his command to attack.

            War…not the beginning.  That had been Alkalai Lake.  Simply…the next battle, each conflict…a step to victory.

            Magneto focused on the transport vehicles and tilted his head curiously.  They were also not made of metal.  How clever… it is too bad for the soldiers that almost everything else around them was.

            With barely a thought, he lifted one of the piled automobiles into the air.  It hovered, gleaming beautiful silver in the dim light, and he heard the soldiers shouting orders to each other.  Magneto regarded them again curiously.  They seemed somewhat disorganized…and very young.  They had not been meant as the main threat, simply clean up after the machine.  

            And, who, he wondered, had been completing Stryker's work?  The man was dead, after all.  Magneto had made sure of that, chaining the _human's _body to a wall, left to drown under the waters of the ruined dam.  Another ignorant fool, he supposed.  No matter…

            The soldiers began to scatter as the hovering automobile flew towards them.  The car impacted on van, which tumbled over and cracked.  Three other cars followed, causing a minor panic among the troops.  Magneto turned his attention to one of the helicopters circling above.  With no small measure of enjoyment, he turned the aircraft upside down and watched the humans within fall to the ground.  He drew the machine to him, a more effective means of escape than a land bound vehicle.  

            Magneto was so enthralled by his own actions, his own power; he did not immediately hear Sid Malloy's shouting voice.

***

            "Look out!" Sid yelled to Magneto and the others as the Sentinel crashed forward through the front of the house.

            Mystique looked back, up into the cold mechanical stare and watched the machine lock its gaze on Magneto.  The four green searchlights moved together as one and shone on him.  The green light made his crimson helmet shine with a sickly light, but Magneto seemed entirely focused on landing the helicopter.

            "Erik!" Mystique yelled and sprinted toward him.  Magneto shifted his eyes to the right but did not turn around.  Instead, he lifted another car into the air and hurled it at the Sentinel.  The machine swung one heavy arm and knocked it easily aside.  

            "Follow me…" he said, and gave Sid a long serious look.  

            Sid shook his head, "I can't!  I can't just leave them with that thing…"

            The younger man ran off and Magneto sighed with frustration.  The twins were not members of the Brotherhood (yet) and his orders were easily ignored.  The helicopter landed solidly and Magneto walked quickly across the yard.  The others did not wait for an order to follow him.  

            The machine also followed Magneto movements, and began to again walk toward them.            Magneto glanced at Deathstrike, and she spun around quickly and leapt toward the Sentinel, knowing his order without him having to utter a single word.

            She sunk her long claws into the lower hull and slashed into the opening at its 'knee' joint.  There were sparks from within but the Sentinel did not stagger.  Deathstrike looked up and began to climb higher.  Its chest cavity was still open, and she saw three figures encased within.  She began to slash at the tentacles, when one shot out and hit her in the neck with an injection.  She ripped it away, and gripped the machine firmly to keep from falling.  

            From below, Sid began to form small balls of glass into sharp spikes.  His face was red with rage, and he fired the broken pieces at the machine.  The shards impacted the giant robot's head and shattered with causing any obvious damage.  If Sid had been able to look closer, he would have seen small cracks forming at the impact sights, rounds breaks, like stones on glass.  He noticed a figure climbing along the body of the machine and halted his attack.

            Deathstrike waited a moment, and shook her head to clear it.  Sedatives, even strong ones, were pushed out of her system quickly, another facet of her regenerative mutation.  However, the small scar on the back of her neck began to ache, and the memories it triggered of her involuntary servitude to Stryker hit her harder than the drugs.

            She shuddered and then ground her teeth angrily.  Glancing across the darkness, she saw Magneto and the others boarding the conquered helicopter.  She reached up and touched the ear worn communicator.

            "Magneto," she called, "Respond."

            "Deathstrike," his voice called back, "Where are you?"

            "On the Sentinel," she said, "Would you like me to destroy it?"

***

            Magneto stood at the door to the helicopter and glanced upward toward Deathstrike.  The machine was still taking slow steps towards them and Magneto pondered on a question which needed an answer.

            "No," he said, thoughtfully, and tapped his fingers against the hull.  Pyro jumped slightly every time the massive foot caused the ground to shake and Mystique was staring at Magneto with angry confusion.

            Magneto smiled again, "Why don't you stay with this new toy…and we'll see where its playmates live…"

            From the ground, Magneto could see Deathstrike grin menacingly.  If this was constructed by followers of William Stryker, then they needed to be dealt with quickly.  This battle would not end tonight…

***

            Sid Malloy ran toward the Sentinel and tried to climb up one leg, as Deathstrike had.  However, as his hand touched the machine's skin, it sunk into the strange material.  Sid pulled his hand back in surprise.  He knew that sensation, a trick he had done a hundred times before.  He ran up to the leg and tried it again.

            The same result, his hand began to sink into the machine's hull.

            _Holy shit, he thought, _The fucker's glass…__

            He stood solidly and focused his power on the Sentinel.  His head began to ache with the effort and he swore again.

            _Shit…not entirely glass._

            But, that did not matter. He could stop the machine that had destroyed his home with his bare hands.

***

            Cyclops helped Wolverine load Iceman into a passenger seat on the jet next to Storm.  They were both out cold, but their vitals were strong.

            "Come on," Wolverine said, "Gumby and that kid are still out there…"

            Cyclops followed him with a nod, and they ran out of the jet.

            Had they been present a moment longer, they would have heard Rogue's voice call over the radio.

            "Hello? Storm…Logan…anybody…come in…We're on our way…"

***

            The surrounding soldiers held their positions, even as they saw several mutants escaping in one of their helicopters.  That had been the order, monitor but do not interfere with the Sentinel.  However, they had also been instructed to kill any mutant who threatens them.

            Captain Dolan, recently promoted and barely twenty-five years old, decided having cars hurled at you was pretty threatening.  He picked up a communicator from one intact van and called to the lead team.

            "Targets have proven hostile…repeat, targets have proven hostile…initiating defensive response."

            "Stow that shit, soldier," William Stryker's voice rang viciously back, "If your men can't duck, they should learn quickly.  I want Lensherr alive."

            "Yes, sir," Dolan radioed back, "What about the other mutants?"

            "Has the prototype acquired any of them?" Stryker asked.

            "Yes, sir," he replied, "Only two or three…"

            "More than enough to satisfy," Stryker said, and Dolan frowned, unsure of what the General meant, but forget any lingering questions upon the next order, "Kill any of the others who get in the way."

            Dolan responded in the affirmative, and order his men into attack positions.

***

            Wolverine and Cyclops charged across the grass, and stopped as the awaiting soldiers began to approach.  Cyclops reached for his visor to fire but Wolverine grabbed his arm.

            "Don't…" he said, "Once you start, _they_ won't stop until we're dead."

            Cyclops looked at him doubtfully but Wolverine was glaring at the approaching gunmen.

            "Believe me…I _was them..."_

            They continued to move across the yard and saw the machine approaching the helicopter.  Magneto was standing at the door hatch, glancing up at the Sentinel with a bizarre grin.  Wolverine followed his gaze and spotted Deathstrike clinging to the hull.

            Cyclops, however, was staring downward and saw a young man pacing the machine and trying to touch it.  At one point, the large foot nearly came down on his head, and Cyclops called out to him.

            "Hey, get away from it!" he shouted and ran towards him.

            Sid heard a voice shout but did not pay attention.  He leapt onto the machine and pressed his hands into the lower leg.  The hull was pliable under his touch and slow circular ripples formed around his hand.  A gleeful blue light filled his eyes, a look that seemed quite mad to the approaching X-Man.

***

            Dolan approached with his troops and surveyed the mutants coolly.  Two were clinging to the Sentinel, two were standing in the grass, and the others were aboard the helicopter.  None were paying attention to the approaching troops, and Dolan grumbled with frustration.

            He hated mutants.  He had no specific reason, except that he had always hated them.  So had his parents.  They told him mutants were a disease, passing it on like a genetic plague through the population.  He had heard it for so long; Stryker had been the only man in the world who understood that as much as Dolan did.  Dirty mutants…he just wanted one reason to open fire…

            As he drew closer, he saw the mutant with his hands on the Sentinel's hull, and the distortions he was causing.  No normal human could do that.  

            Dolan raised his weapon and grinned.  Stryker said to fire if the troops were threatened.  Fuck, the Sentinel was more human than those freaks…no one will miss just one…

            He aimed at Sid, and pulled the trigger.


	25. Chapter TwentyFour: Shattered

Chapter Twenty-Four

            Cyclops glanced around at the approaching force and called out to Sid again.

            "Jump down," he cried, "We have to get out of here!"

            Sid turned and looked down at him.  His eyes were blazing with fury.  Had Cyclops seen Rebecca in the house earlier before the first explosion, he would have known she and this man were kin.

            "I can't!" he shouted, "You don't understand!  They have my sist…"

            Sid's words were cut off as a barrage of bullets littered his chest.  He choked as blood bubbled into his throat and fell backwards onto the ground.  Cyclops knelt next to him and Sid began reaching towards the ruined cars… towards the broken glass…

            Cyclops looked up at the troops in a sudden rage.  They kill…why do they always _kill_?  Jean had died because of people like this; hateful, pointless prejudice that only murdered and kept murdering.  Cyclops stood and reached for his visor, he turned the beam to its highest setting and prepared to fire on the approaching men.

***

            Wolverine walked toward the helicopter and Magneto smiled at him viciously.

            "Welcome back to the war, soldier," he said condescendingly and Wolverine growled.

            "_You caused this," he spat, "_Not them this time.  You.  Luckily, we got a little girl now who can tell us what Xavier can't pull from your mind."__

            Magneto stared at him with insulting pity, though noted his words thoughtfully.

            "Now, now, my boy," he chided, "I did not construct the monster before you.  But…rest assured…I'll find out who did.  And then these toys will be a thing of the past…"

            Wolverine leveled his claws at him, "You're not goin' anywhere, bub."

            Magneto sighed with boredom and held one hand toward the growling man.  

            "Really, Wolverine," he said, "How do you plan to stop us?"

            Wolverine froze in place as Magneto took control of his adamantium skeleton and, strangely, the X-Man did not struggle.

            Magneto frowned curiously, and then spoke aloud.

            "Mystique, prepare for departure."

            There was no answer, and he frowned.  Looking back, he saw Mystique's cold yellow eyes staring forward, at Logan.  She did not move, even as he said her name again.

            On the other side of the aircraft, Sabertooth also sat in perfect stillness, the sneer frozen on his face.  All around Magneto, the world fell silent, except for the whirring blades of the helicopter and the steady steps of the Sentinel.

            He lowered the hand pointed at Wolverine and stepped off the aircraft.  Every living person around him had been stopped in their tracks, and he heard a new sound approaching.

            "Charles…" he said and gazed upward as another small craft lowered from the sky.  In the front windows, he could see the pale face of Rogue staring out at him angrily.  The expression was similar to Logan's, a little of the Wolverine left over inside of her.

            There was a burst of air, and a soft sound.

            _Bamf._

            In a cloud of blue smoke, Xavier and Nightcrawler appeared before him.

            The Sentinel took another step and Magneto smiled.

            "Hello, old friend," Xavier said without good humor, "This ends now."

            The Sentinel took another step and Magneto shook his head.

            "No, I don't think so," he replied, and pointed to the sky, "Look up, Charles.  This is what they'll use next time they attack your school.  It has already gathered three, one of yours, one of mine, and an innocent.  Remember Stryker's plans, his ultimate work, and know he was not the only one with such goals."

            Without another word, Magneto spun and leapt aboard the helicopter.  Nightcrawler glanced down toward the Professor.

            "I could stop him, if you would like," he said softly and Xavier shook his head.

            "No," he said sadly, and then glanced at the bleeding man at Cyclops's feet, "I'm afraid we have more dire needs at the moment."

            The helicopter lifted to the air, just as the Sentinel swiped on large fist toward it.  It missed and gazed upward as Magneto flew away.  Charles looked up at the machine with eerie calmness.  He had no control over this device, and it began to march away slowly, passing the still soldiers and ignoring the other mutants.  Its task was complete…for now and it was heading back to its creator.

            Xavier released the other X-Men from his hold and Wolverine stumbled forward in confusion.  He straightened his shoulders as he noticed the immobile troops and glanced back at the Professor with annoyance.  

            "I hate when you do that," he said and marched to his companions.

***

            Cyclops stood over the wounded mutant and examined the bullet impact sights gravely.  The pool of blood on the grass was spreading rapidly and he doubted the man would live.

            Sid tried to speak, reaching for the broken glass feebly.  He mouthed the word but Cyclops did not understand.  

            _Glass… he thought loudly, _I need glass…GIVE ME GLASS!__

_            I hear you_, a voice rang in Sid's head, _Don't be afraid._

            "Scott," Xavier's voice called, "Bring him here."

            "Professor, he's wounded, we can't move him," Cyclops replied, but Xavier shook his head.

            "Trust me."

            Cyclops put his hands underneath Sid's shoulders and pulled him closer to the ruined pile of automobiles.  To his surprise, tinkling pieces of broken glass began to move toward the bleeding mutant.

            Sid closed his eyes as the glass filled his wounds and felt the microscopic particles forming with his own, making new skin…new blood.

            After few moments, Sid opened his eyes and looked up at the upside down blue face of Nightcrawler, who was smiling happily.

            "He is alive!" he exclaimed and Sid began to sit up slowly.  The molecules of the glass were still being changed into living cells, but he did not have time to wait for his body to heal.

            "My…I…" he coughed and Xavier looked at him sternly.

            _Speak in your mind, he sent and Sid nodded._

            _It took my sister, and two others, we have to stop it, Sid sent back._

            Xavier looked toward the machine as it moved away, and frowned deeply.  This new devilry was not created from Stryker's work alone.  There was something else…

            Mary had said they had to fear the General.  Could Stryker have lived?  That's what Magneto was going to find out…

            Suddenly, the machine began to fold in on itself and once again became a hovering disk, and disappeared into the night sky.  

            "Ready the jet, Scott," Xavier said, "Kurt and I will go with you and Logan.  Rogue can take the wounded back to the mansion.  We will track the path of that device and find out where it came from."

            Sid struggled to his feet, "I'm coming with you then…"

            Xavier turned to the mutant, "I think you should see our doctor…"

            He paused as Sid reached toward one cracked windshield; the glass streaming into his body threw the holes in his suit.  After another moment, he stood firmly and his hard blue eyes were filled with rage.

            "I don't need a doctor," he said darkly, and Xavier regarded him silently.

            Sid smiled charmingly, a practiced skill but his eyes did not change, "Either I go with you… or I go on my own.  We'll race…it'll be _fun_…"

            There was a tremble in Sid's voice, and Xavier heard a strange ferocity there that did not seem to go along with his otherwise debonair appearance.  Something of the fury he saw, something just a little mad…

            "Fine," the Professor said, "I'm Charles Xavier."

            "I know…" Sid said arrogantly, "I'm Sid…let's go…"

            Storming past the others, Sid headed toward the small jet quickly.

            Logan glanced at Xavier and laughed, "Ok, then."

            The X-Men headed off in separate directions, one team returning to the mansion, the others following Magneto, and the Sentinel.

***

Author's note:  Three chapters in a day.  Aren't Thursdays great?  We're supposed to start getting a big snow storm tomorrow, so if I don't have work, I'll have time to get the rest of this book down.  Oh, Canada send some of that weather down this way!  :-)

Oh, did you know _BAMF_ isn't in MS Word spell checker?  Neither is adamantium.  The things you learn when writing fan fic…   :-)


	26. Chapter TwentyFive: Stryker's Price

Chapter Twenty-Five:

            The office was dimly lit, located too far below ground for windows.  The only illumination came from a small desk lamp, and its stark light cast black shadows around the room.  It was strangely furnished with one black desk surrounded by a wide variety of computers and electronic screens, which were all currently not powered up.  The monitors stared blankly at the room's only occupant like a dozen dead and shining eyes reflecting back dimly.

            General William Stryker sat at the desk, his eyes closed with frightening serenity.  His chin was resting gently against the fingertips of his steepled hands, as if he were lost in silent prayer.  His brow was furrowed slightly, the desk lamp alighting his lined and weathered features in such a way that his eyes seemed quite deeply set back in his face.

            But, prayers and meditating thoughts were not what now preoccupied him.

            He was waiting, with quiet patience, for an expected phone call.

            It had hardly been two hours since the prototype was dispatched on its first mission, but Stryker knew any conflict would not last long.

            The black phone sitting to his left rang sharply in the silent office.  Stryker lowered his hands and reached for the receiver with a curious, though unpleasant, expression.  He lifted it carefully from the cradle and held it to his ear.

            "Report," was all his said, though the tone was light and conversational.  He had been in a very agreeable mood since he watched the Sentinel fly away from his base, and the reply he received made him smile.  The expression was horrid in the shadows, his eyes shining from the dark sockets and his top row of teeth exposed to the gums.

            "The Sentinel is returning, sir," the voice of a random solder said quickly, "It has acquired three mutants successfully...all are believed to be unconscious but alive."

            "Lensherr?" Stryker asked and there was a long pause before the soldier replied.

            "No, sir," the soldier said, "He escaped in one of our helicopters..."

            Stryker's grin widened.  There had been a reason he had insisted on sending regular, metallic aircraft.

            The soldier continued to speak, "He seems to have abandoned it in an airfield outside the city.  His implanted locator is out of range, but recon reports an unregistered aircraft is currently following the Sentinel's path..."

            "Excellent," Stryker said softly, and then spoke commandingly over the phone, "Tell recon to keep tracking that jet and keep me posted.  You others begin heading back to the base.  I want you to maintain positions outside this compound.  If Lensherr wants in, we're gonna be damn sure he doesn't get out."

            "Sir, there's something else," the soldier said quickly, "The Wolverine was sighted by our ground troops, along with several other mutants identified in our files as prior threats to..."

            "Don't concern yourself with them, soldier," Stryker interrupted, "Lensherr and Charles Xavier have been setting their own against each other for years.  If mutants want to kill each other, we won't be the ones to stop them.  However, if Xavier's mutants also assume the need to find where our little prototype came from, we'll be ready for them.  In the end, those two and their followers may do the world a favor and destroy each other."

            Stryker laughed suddenly at this thought, his voice harsh and barking.  The soldier on the other end of the phone flinched involuntarily at the noise.

            "My orders stand, soldier," the General finally said, "Keep positions until further notice."

            "Yes, sir," the soldier replied and then the line clicked and fell dead.

            Stryker put the receiver down gently, and continued to smile.  Eight months of planning were finally coming to fruition.  With Lensherr approaching, what had begun at Alkalai Lake would finally end...and mutants, those freaks of all things natural, would perish under Stryker's orders, even if he had to kill them one at a time...

            Suddenly, the black phone rang again, and Stryker frowned.  He picked up the receiver quickly, assuming there must be some problem with the mission, and anger filled his face.

            "Yes," he shouted, "Report!"

            "Good evening, William," a low and overly pleasant voice said and the anger in the General's face changed quickly into fear, "I trust all went well...with your little _test_ tonight?"

            Stryker felt a cold sweat break down his spine and he took a deep breath to keep his voice from shaking.

            "Yes..." he repeated, "Everything...everything went perfectly..."

            "Not..._quite perfect...correct?" the voice scolded gently, as a parent would to a child._

            Stryker shook his head, "No...no, not quite perfect.  Lensherr...escaped..."

            "I'm very sorry to hear that, William," the stranger said sympathetically, "But I'm confident you will get what you want very soon."

            The voice of the stranger on the other end of the line then became more vicious.

            "In the meantime...I do believe that machine _did_ take a few other things from the scene, did it not?  And those things are...currently...still _alive_...aren't they?"

            Stryker nodded, "Yes...it did...they are…"

            "It would be a great shame if they came to some..._harm_...before I arrived to collect them..." the voice said threateningly, "In fact, it would be a shame if _any_ of the approaching mutants were somehow...killed...before they had been put to their own uses..."

            Stryker was breathing heavily as the stranger spoke.  His free hand began to shake, and slowly, out of his control, drew a loaded gun from his desk drawer.  Stryker did not bother to struggle as his own hand pointed the gun to his temple.  The stranger's voice reverberated over the line and the receiver shuttered.

            "It would be a _great shame_..." the voice said to the General, "...if your uses...your promises... ran out, before you were able to complete your work."

            Stryker nodded again, and even though the stranger was communicating with him from a great distance over the phone, the General had no doubt the stranger knew his every movement.

            "Very good," the voice said, and Stryker's armed hand fell away as he regained control of his limbs, "I'm glad we understand each other.  You keep your promise..."

            The stranger waited for Stryker to repeat his vow.

            "To give you what you want..."

            The voice sounded pleased, "And I will keep my promise.  To help you achieve your goals.  To free _this world of the plague known at 'mutants.'  Once my work is complete...no mutant will remain on _this_ earth..."_

            The stranger then sounded quite friendly again, "Good bye, William.  It's been wonderful talking with you again."

            _Click._

            The line once again fell dead, and Stryker's hand trembled as the receiver fell from his grip.  The entire office seemed to have filled with a numbing cold, the sensation Stryker remembered from his near demise at Alkalai Lake.  The one and only day he had seen the stranger in person.

            _Give me what I want…_

            The memory of the stranger's words pounded in his mind.

            Shortly after the stranger had helped him escape a water death, Stryker began to receive numerous phone calls, always the same greeting tone, always the vicious demands.

            _Gather them, William.  Gather them, but do not kill them.  I want them alive.  Any.  All.  All but Lensherr…I promise, he will be yours to destroy as you please…_

            The General, in the moment of failure after the dam broke, had wanted nothing more than what the stranger promised.  A chance for revenge, a new chance to solve the 'mutant problem,' the mutant plague.  

            And the stranger had not disappointed, giving Stryker power and technology beyond his imagination, the _means_ to the ultimate _end of mutant kind._

            At one…simple…non-negotiable…price.

            The mutants, as much as possible, would be taken alive.  Gathered by Stryker's new Sentinels, and then given to the stranger when the time came.

            For what reason, Stryker did not know.  He did not care.  At least, he thought he did not care.

            The stranger was not one to question.  He was powerful, unseen, dangerous…and had proven his ability to control Stryker and his men without ever appearing in person.  No failure or mistake would be acceptable.  With such powers, the stranger could have been a mutant himself for all the General knew, but somehow he doubted it.

            Somehow…he doubted the stranger from the wilderness was anything that close to human.

            Stryker stood and marched quickly out of his office.  The Sentinel was returning and his enemies were approaching.  He would worry about the arrival of the stranger when it was imminent.  Any lingering thoughts were shoved away, any emotion or empathy buried under his hate, and Stryker barked orders to his men to prepare for their 'guests.'

***

Author's note:  For some reason, when I was reading reviews today, I had the sudden urge to write cliffhangers.  I just kept hearing it over and over again.  Hmm… Maybe I have to end book 2 with a huge cliffhanger… like a Sentinel stealing some of our main characters away while one bad guy followed to find another bad guy who might be being controlled by a REALLY bad guy, and the good guys are still catching up with bad guy number one.  Hmm…

WTF?!

No, this isn't the end of book 2.  Still have one more bit to wrap up.  :-)

BTW, "Toad-age" has now been added to my MS Word Spell checker.  Of course there's not much of it now considering he's unconscious flying east in the belly of a giant killer robot.  Hmm…

PS:  Sid = Virtuosity = Russell Crowe = very happy Leen.  Thank you.

PPS: Read Prologue… Guess the stranger! (He is a cross over!)

PSS: Lil-Sis WISHES she had the inside scoop.  Mwahahaha!  (Yes, I do practice.  Thank you.)

PPSS:  It's like 1:00 a.m. so if these sound like the ramblings of a sleep deprived framer, you're right!  Get yourself a cookie.  Thank you for reviews.  Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………..


	27. Chapter TwentySix: Touch and Sight

Chapter Twenty-Six:

            Through the sky over Westchester, New York, Rogue skillfully guided the small aircraft towards the mansion.  It was not as large as the X-Jet, but held herself and her two unconscious passengers comfortably.  Her gloved hands held the controls firmly and she reached for a switch above her head to activate the communication radio.

            Peter's voice responded back, acknowledging her impending arrival back to the school.  Dr. McCoy was waiting to take the patients directly to the medical bay, which he and the students helping him would have to do the long way since Kurt was not returning with Rogue.

            Her hands felt hot and nervous in her gloves, but not because of any anxiety about landing the craft safely, only out of concern for her passengers.  After Alkalai Lake, the importance of training all the X-Men in piloting their various aircrafts was clear, and Rogue had been quick to learn the many subtleties of professional flying.  Her first flight had been out of necessity as the dam of Stryker's base was breaking, and she felt no less urgency during this flight.

            Rogue glanced back at the others and her eyes found Bobby's sleeping form.  He was leaning back in one passenger seat, strapped securely so his head would not be jerked around in flight.  The expression on his face was not one of peaceful slumber, but troubled and frightened in relation to the last thing he saw before loosing consciousness.

            The hard, focused look on her face softened slightly as she noticed the bruises beginning to appear on his neck.  Water from melting ice dripped from his hair and hands and she hoped his own cold touch would be soothing to those wounds.  She wanted so much to be able to comfort him when he awoke.  Hold his hand as Henry treated him in the medical lab, touch his forehead to check for fever, place more than light kisses on the abrasions and bruises...

            Rogue's hands formed into tight fists around the aircraft's controls as her expression changed again.  The warm light in her eyes turned cold and bitter, and she turned back away from Bobby quickly before that bitterness could focus on his face.

            She did love him, for his kindness, his honesty, his silly humor, and most of all for his dedication, to her and to the X-Men.  Even when everyone else in the school was afraid of her, Bobby had been the one who had taken her hand, drawn her out of the pit she had been buried in since running away from home.  

Her mistrust of everyone (except Logan) had kept her from being close to her classmates right away, but Bobby just kept hanging around, inviting her to dinner every night for weeks, so properly like he was asking her on a date...until he finally _did_ ask her on a date, off campus, to the movies.  They had not been able to kiss that night, but he had not let go of her hand for the entire film.

            Then, at Alkalai Lake, Bobby had been the one there the whole time.  He had been the one to go back with her and help Logan during the attack on the mansion.  He had been the one who stayed with her on the jet.  He had been the one, again holding her hand, as they lay in pain during the attacks.

            Bobby had been the one to walk up to Logan, take the hand of the man she thought of almost as a father, and say proudly without hesitation that he was her boyfriend, no matter what anyone else in the school thought.

            Rogue gritted her teeth, and tried to force all of her hostile thoughts away with those memories.  The other students knew about her power as much as she knew about their powers.  They knew her limitations with physical contact, and the whispers about how she and Bobby would ever _do_ certain things did not fall deafly on her ears.

            Though, Bobby never mentioned the gossip, never seemed to care what anyone else thought.  Whenever she was just with him, that was enough.  But, Rogue could not deny the lingering doubt that someday...it would not be.

            She then thought of the flirting Remy LeBeau with an amused, but slightly angry grin.  He was annoying, but entertaining to say the least, especially since meeting her Wolverine 'bodyguard.'  She wondered if _he_ would still pay her such attentions, if he ever knew that those attentions could never be fulfilled.

***

            Mary stood next to Henry McCoy and watched the small jet lower slowly into the landing bay.  She shivered and folded her arms as the cold night wind blew down through the large entrance in the ceiling.  As the jet settled, Henry nodded to her and Peter and they rushed over to the craft.

            As Henry tried to walk faster, his posture bent forward.  Mary noticed that he used his long arms once or twice to accelerate this pace.  Not as if he was crawling, simply as if his massive form moved more naturally in that almost animal-like stance.  The motion was not awkward or comical, but smooth and professional, the walk of a doctor.

            They reached the jet just as Rogue lowered the back platform and stepped out.

            "They're in there," she said pointed back into the craft, "Storm and Bobby.  Unconscious, but they seemed to be breathing ok..."

            Henry nodded and he and Peter climbed aboard past her.  Each unbuckled and lifted one passenger easily, carrying them quickly off the jet and towards the main hall. 

            "What happened to them?" Mary asked and Rogue shook her head.

            "I'm not sure," she said, "When we got there...Cyclops and Logan were the only ones on their feet.  There was...God, there was a giant _robot_ destroying a house..."

            "_A robot?_" Mary asked, and then her voice fell, "What did it look like?"

            "Like a person," she said, "A giant metal man who attacked them and used some kind of tranquillizer to..."

            "Not metal..." Mary said softly, her eyes becoming distant.

            "What?" Rogue asked and Mary shook her head.

            "Not metal...or that man...Magneto...he could have stopped it, right?" she asked and Rogue shrugged.

            "I guess so," she replied and then added angrily, "Unless it was _his_ machine..."

            "Sentinel..." Mary said quickly, "It's called a Sentinel.  That was the last part of the vision today.  But it was the general's...not Magneto's..."

            "_What general_?" Rogue shouted, a little louder than she intended, but her tone did not faze Mary at all.  Her face was somber and dark.

            "I don't know.  It...didn't say his name..." she said and then met Rogue's eyes with concern, "Where are the others?"

            "Following the robo...the Sentinel," Rogue answered, "It took Gambit and some others.  Magneto was following it, too."

            Mary frowned in worried thought and then shivered again.

            "I have a feeling...that following that thing is a really..._really..._bad idea..."

            Rogue's face once again became hard and focused, "Let's go."

            She turned quickly and began to march back up the platform into the jet.

            "Wait..." Mary replied with surprise, "We can't go after them."

            "If you feel they're in trouble, then they might need our help," she said.

            "What do you mean _we_?" Mary asked, "What the hell good would I do against a giant robot?  Besides, it was just a feeling, not a vision..."

            Rogue walked back down and put a confident hand on her friend's upper arm.

            "_I'm_ learning to _trust_ your feelings, Mary," she said, "_You_ should, too.  And, if we _are_ going to be attacked by a giant robot...you're feelings would do better there than here."

            Mary raised a cynical eyebrow, "The Professor would not like this..."

            Rogue smirked, the expression sure and cocky, just like Logan.

            "You can ask him when we get there," she replied, and pulled her along into the jet.

            Mary hesitantly strapped herself into the co-pilot's seat.  This would be her second flight ever, and she prayed Rogue was a steady driver.  Rogue began flipping switches to start up the jet again, and it shuttered as the engines flamed to life.  Mary grasped the arms of her chair tightly.

            "Don't worry," Rogue said with a grin, "Logan's the one who taught me how to fly."

            "Right, the same Logan that tears the motorcycle up and down the road," Mary said and then took a deep breath, "There are bags around, right...just in case..."

            Rogue laughed at Mary's worried but comical expression.

            "Under the right arm rest," she replied, and then changed the subject to help the other girl relax, "Hey, did you think of a code name yet?"

            Mary blinked quickly and shook her head, "Um...no, I haven't really thought about it..."

            "Well, you're on a mission now," Rogue said, beginning to lift the jet into the air, "I need to know what to call you."

            The jet jerked forward and Mary closed her eyes.

            "How about 'Airsick'?" she said with weak grin.

            Rogue smiled back, "How about 'Alethia'?  Dr. McCoy said she was a Greek goddess of truth…" 

            Mary tilted her head thoughtfully, "Um…that's ok, I guess, but...ah, oh, God..."

            The jet was beginning to gain altitude and her stomach suddenly shook hands with her esophagus again.  Rogue smiled sympathetically.

            "How about just Mary?" she asked.

            "That works, too," Mary agreed, closing her eyes.

            The moment her lids fell, the image of the Sentinel rose in her vision again.  Emotionless, cold, empty...dangerous.  Its orders, now benign, compared to what it was capable of.

            Mary quickly opened her eyes, forcing herself to manage the motion sickness and focus on her work at hand.

            _A world of work…ahead of all of them._

_To be continued…_


	28. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

            _Prepare…the time is coming to surrender what I've asked for…_

            Xavier inhaled sharply as the strange voice filled his mind.  He frowned and leaned forward slightly as his hand reached his temple.  No one noticed his distraction, as Xavier's face remained even and calm.  He listened, but the thought did not come again.

            The words had been cold, and Xavier struggled to suppress a shiver.  The voice had been sane, but cruel, almost inhuman.  He focused his mind on the voice and tried to send a reply.

            _Prepare for what? He thought, to no one specifically but he knew if the speaker's mind had reached him, he would be able to reach them._

            There was a new sense of cold, so biting Xavier began to massage his temple with his fingertips.  Then, with frightening clarity, there was a response.

            _Do not interfere, Charles.  Or be certain, you will lose more than one taken by the Sentinel tonight._

            Then, the presence was gone and Xavier exhaled slowly.  He had listened to thousands of minds in his lifetime, probably millions, but no voice mutant or human had ever been so hateful, so dangerous.

            Xavier glanced around the jet at the others and frowned deeply.  A strong, unconquerable determination fell across his face.  He did not know who the speaker was, but Charles Xavier was not going to allow this new danger bring harm to those he cared about.  He had been helpless before, but there was no force acting on his will now.

            With one clear thought ringing in his mind, Charles Xavier replied once again to the stranger's voice.

            _One life or one hundred, threaten them again, and my interference _will be only the first reason you have to fear me…__

            The windows of the jet reverberated slightly as the thought echoed from Xavier's mind…

            …and somewhere in the wilderness, a strange man, who was not a man, rose into the night sky  and headed towards Stryker's base, a fresh frost covering the land as his passed overhead.

            _A storm is coming…_

***

Author's notes:  Yay, finally onto book 3.  Just want to run down the crossovers, and again I DON'T own any characters from Marvel or any other universe that's been drawn into this story.

Movie – "The Prophecy" (Mary, featured more in book 1)

Book/Movie – "The Firestarter" by S.King (the main character here is Sid and Rebecca's mother, who has not been located by anyone for about 8 years)

Movie – "Firestarter 2" (really has nothing to do with book, just the first movie, but did base how Rebecca looks on the girl who plays Charlene McGee in this movie.  For my story I'm assuming Charlene McGee would look more like a grown up version of Drew Berrymore in movie 1 (that is if she shows up :-)

T.V. – "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (Little Harmony reference, Sebastian's a vampire and more Watcher's Council)

Movie – "Dogma" (still very small reference)

Movie – "Virtuosity" (THIS is how Sid looks.  Suits, slick hair, attitude, though not the same weird android serial killer character but I like the nickname.  Oh, yeah and the fact that he is Russell Crowe.  :-)  Watch the movie and you'll understand the 'glass' mutation thing.)

Movie – "Storm of the Century"  (Be it known, I am a Stephen King movies fan.  Love cheesy horror movies, can't help it.  Though this movie is pretty freaky, and main bad guy scared the hell out of me and my roommates in college.)

Woo…it's getting crowded in here.

***

Hooray, reviews.  I've brought cookies… AND muffins!  And…a bandaide for Arain.  For when she wakes up…

Oh, and Lil-sis-Aeris.  Disclaimer: I hereby take no responsibility for the insanity in my family.  Thank you.  

Although she did have a good suggestion…maybe Mary's X-Men name can be "Cliffhanger."  You know, since the visions never tell her what's going to happen next.  

Cyclops:  Cliffhanger, we're in battle!  What's going to happen next?!

Cliffhanger: I don't know…the visions always END at the exciting part!

*shrug*  I can't think of a better code name.  My sister's code name is UPDATE?!, including the question mark and exclamation point.

On to book 3…


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